Tapered Deals Haven’t Yet Deterred Soda Consumers, Informal Survey Reveals
June 7, 2022
In an informal BD survey of US beverage bottlers and distributors, Memorial Day holiday pricing was higher than last year as manufacturers and retailers continued to pull back on promotional discounting. Bottlers have faced unprecedented costs this year for everything from labor and transportation to raw materials. One bottler told BD that...
Juice-Infused Brand May Add as Many as 50 Distributors This Year, CEO Says
May 9, 2022
Spindrift is targeting 20 new states by the end of this year for its Spindrift Spiked sparkling water as the company forges a new direct store delivery (DSD) network. In an interview, Founder and CEO Bill Creelman said...
Boston Beer CEO Says Trial ‘Higher Than I’ve Ever Seen.’ Scarcity, Cross-Border Sales Likely Bolstering Demand. Boston Beer’s Hard Mtn Dew, distributed by PepsiCo’s Blue Cloud unit, has now expanded to...
Royalties Possible to Orange Bang, Monster as Arbitrator Challenges ‘Creatine’ Formulation
April 19, 2022
The legal rancor in recent years involving Bang Energy and Monster Energy took a surprising turn last week after a California court filing revealed an arbitrator’s $175 million ruling against Bang maker Vital Pharmaceuticals (VPX). The development has implications as well for Bang Energy distributor PepsiCo.
While still early, there is growing evidence that leveraging established brands for new alcohol products is a winning way to break through tired or saturated categories.
As you will read in today’s issue, demand for PepsiCo’s Hard Mtn Dew appears to be outpacing the company’s ability to add distribution (story below). That’s a nice place to be and likely not by accident. PepsiCo and partner Boston Beer have launched in states where non-alcoholic Dew is already a strong seller, so there is built-in demand.
PepsiCo's Blue Cloud Aims to Service "All Retail Customers" in Phased Roll Out
March 17, 2022
Hard Mtn Dew has created a stir among some independent liquor store operators in three states where Boston Beer and PepsiCo launched the alcoholic soda one month ago. Operators in Florida, Tennessee, and Iowa told BD that they have so far ...
Two Camps Emerge: One Welcomes New Investment. Other Wants Direct Upside
February 23, 2022
Coca-Cola’s foray into the US alcohol beverage market has spurred mixed feelings from Coke bottlers without alcohol operations as they evaluate what the development means for their businesses. Coke and Molson Coors have steadily expanded distribution and added line extensions for Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, first introduced early last year. Coca-Cola has since licensed...
Margin Discussion Likely Lynchpin for Retailers, Independent Bottlers
February 23, 2022
PepsiCo is considering shifting Gatorade to direct store delivery (DSD) for large format stores in the US following successful market tests, the company has confirmed to BD. “We’ve done some tests,” CFO Hugh Johnston said in an interview. “The tests have been pretty successful.” He added that a decision about whether to go wider and
Canopy Growth Chief Innovation Officer Julian Cohen says the company views cannabis as a consumer product, just like beverages and snacks. He sees an opportunity for cannabis to play in a “beneficial” beverage space in which cannabis and other functional ingredients such as vitamins, antioxidants and adaptogens are blended to “deliver on the promise of what we call total mood management.” In a separate interview, Canopy Chief Product Officer Tara Rozalowsky provided an update on the company’s US business and Quatreau’s launch.