Plus, Latest U.S. Retail Data Shows CSD Pricing Accelerated

Fourth of July promotional activity for carbonated soft drinks appeared...

We thought we’d have some fun in today’s newsletter reminiscing about the 40th anniversary of Coca-Cola’s dramatic reversal of the New Coke formula change in 1985. Check out the story on page 11. Beverage Digest Founder Jesse Meyers writes about a meeting in Rye Brook, New York with Coke legends Roberto Goizueta and Donald Keough, where the executives confirmed the top-secret New Coke project. You can also read (and see) Beverage Digest’s original reports on the New Coke launch and the company’s reversal less than three months later.

The New Coke episode came during...

Anheuser-Busch InBev has launched Phorm Energy online nationally. Flavors are Screamin’ Freedom, Blue Blitz, Orange Fury, and Grape Smash. The zero sugar drinks include...

Coca-Cola has launched Sprite + Tea, which is a combination of Sprite lemon-lime soda and iced tea. The concept was based on a social media trend in which influencers and consumers cold-steep tea bags in Sprite.

Biolyte hydration drink, which bills itself as an “IV in a bottle,” has unveiled a packaging redesign. The brand also added 6,000 CVS and Walgreens locations nationwide to its distribution footprint....

We just released the 30th Edition of the Beverage Digest Fact Book, detailing 2024 all-channel sales results across the US non-alcoholic beverage industry. Unlike the quarterly retail data published in BD’s newsletter, this data set covers ready-to-drink packaged and fountain drinks across all channels, including retail stores and foodservice outlets.

Today’s special issue is a top-level view of that annual all-channel Fact Book report. It provides a snapshot of the intense competition within the U.S. non-alcoholic beverage business. The following newsletter pages cover major beverage companies, categories, trademarks, and brands. It’s a quick reference guide to how the biggest players are performing in liquid refreshment beverages, with an emphasis on carbonated soft drinks...

A big question for independent US Pepsi bottlers is whether they are in line to distribute two brands at the center of key PepsiCo-related deals this year. The newest deal is PepsiCo’s pending acquisition of prebiotic soda leader Poppi for $1.95 billion, announced on March 17 (BD sent an email news alert to subscribers). The other is the...

My wife and I got away late last month for a vacation to Southern Italy’s Amalfi Coast. I was taking some time off but couldn’t help making a few casual beverage observations.

First, when it comes to carbonated soft drinks, Coca-Cola appears to dominate the region. From the small local market near our Airbnb rental in tiny Conca dei Marini, to the trendy restaurants in mid-size Sorrento, there was always a Coke for sale. We didn’t stumble on a Pepsi until we hit a market in the much larger city of Naples.

While this was no formal survey, the disparity actually makes sense to me, knowing something about Coca-Cola’s and PepsiCo’s global strategies. PepsiCo’s global beverage expansion strategy has historically focused...

Concentrate list pricing for flagship Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and other carbonated soft drinks produced by US Coke bottlers rose...

Coca-Cola’s North America Operating Unit hosted executives and associates from its franchised bottling system in Las Vegas recently to discuss marketing, commercial and sales plans for 2025. The theme for the meeting was, “Above and Beyond,” as the system looks to...