News Alert

Marriott Switching to Coke from Pepsi after 35 Years

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 17:19:24 -0400

Marriott International is switching to Coke from Pepsi after 35 years, BD has learned. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo confirmed ...

Coke's BodyArmor Folding into New Hydration Unit in Atlanta; Alcohol Chief Dan White Leaving Company

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 10:57:47 -0500

Coca-Cola is folding its BodyArmor Nutrition unit that includes Powerade into a new Advanced Hydration unit that will include...

Coca-Cola Announces Braun as Next CEO

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 17:47:22 -0500

Coca-Cola just announced that EVP and COO Henrique Braun will be the company’s next CEO beginning March 31 of next year. He succeeds Chairman and CEO James Quincey, who will become executive chairman after nine years as CEO. Braun will also become...

PepsiCo North America Refranchising 'Not Under Consideration,' CEO Says

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 10:00:26 -0500

PepsiCo held an investor conference call this morning to answer questions about the company’s new "commercial and financial priorities” formed as part of ...

PepsiCo, Activist Elliott Settle on Growth Priorities

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 17:15:43 -0500

PepsiCo just announced a set of "commercial and financial priorities" that are supported by PepsiCo shareholder Elliott Investment Management following "constructive engagement."

Elliott argued in an early September report that PepsiCo was...

NACS Show 2025 Chicago

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 17:50:46 -0400

Rolling Updates on 2026 Coke, PepsiCo, KDP Innovation and More.

Hello from the NACS show in Chicago. Food and beverage manufacturers are sharing their latest innovation to convenience store operators from around the country as buyers look toward shelf sets early next year. Beverage Digest is at the show to provide rolling innovation updates for subscribers by email alert and here at Beverage Digest.com...

PepsiCo CEO Laguarta Addressed U.S. Bottler Refranchising Push by Activist Elliott

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 10:44:48 -0400

During today’s third-quarter investor conference call with Wall Street analysts, PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta addressed pressure from activist investor Elliott Investment Management for PepsiCo to refranchise the company’s North American beverage bottling and distribution system. “We’re going..

Pepsico to Launch Protein Trifecta in 2026 Using Propel, Muscle Milk, Starbucks Brands

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 06:42:01 -0400

As part of its third-quarter earnings report this morning, PepsiCo is previewing a new Gatorade product, as well as a three-brand protein strategy centered on Propel, Muscle Milk, and Starbucks ready-to-drink coffee. BD obtained additional details. The Propel product will...

PepsiCo to Distribute Alani Nu. Celsius Takes Ownership of Rockstar.

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 09:00:06 -0400

Celsius Holdings and PepsiCo have announced a deal to make Celsius PepsiCo's "energy lead in the US,” according to an announcement this morning. PepsiCo will now distribute Celsius’s newly acquired Alani Nu in the US and Canada in return for a...

KDP to Acquire Peet's, Separate Refreshment Beverages and Coffee

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 09:30:51 -0400

Keurig Dr Pepper announced a blockbuster deal early this morning to acquire JDE Peet’s coffee and then split the beverages and coffee businesses into two distinct U.S. listed companies. The beverage company, to be run by...

Pepsi to Introduce Prebiotic Cola

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 14:00:40 -0400

Later today, PepsiCo will announce the launch of a Pepsi Prebiotic Cola this fall that includes 5g of sugar, 30 calories, no artificial sweeteners, and 3g of prebiotic fiber. The drink is sweetened with cane sugar and a proprietary blend of stevia, according to the company. The drink will come in Original Cola and Cherry Vanilla flavors. In an interview with ...

Keurig Dr Pepper Can Terminate Distribution Deal With Reyes, Texas Judge Rules

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 19:10:26 -0400

Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling Now Faces Possible Full Exit From Dr Pepper Business

Keurig Dr Pepper’s termination of a Dr Pepper distribution agreement with Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, without cause, for parts of California and Nevada is valid, a Texas judge has ruled. The termination will proceed as KDP planned on October 27, the Collin County district judge said in an order issued on Monday. “This week’s ...

FTC Dismisses PepsiCo Pricing Lawsuit

Fri, 23 May 2025 11:50:52 -0400

The US Federal Trade Commission has dismissed a Robinson-Patman Act pricing lawsuit filed against PepsiCo in January (May 23, 2025 Email News Alert). In a statement Thursday, the commission's chairman called the case "nakedly political."

The dismissal was not a surprise given comments in January by commissioners who voted against proceeding and later took control of the FTC as part of the Trump administration.

Coke's BodyArmor Rolls Out Brand ‘Rebirth’ With Visual Overhaul

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 09:30:42 -0400

Coca-Cola’s BodyArmor division has updated the brand’s identity with new package graphics and a “cleaner” and “sharper” word mark. The refresh includes...

Arkansas, Indiana, Idaho in Line for First SNAP Soda Exclusions Under Current Trump Administration

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 13:15:01 -0400

Arkansas, Indiana and Idaho announced waiver requests today to eliminate soft drinks from their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) programs. Beverage Digest recently reported on the growing risk of such actions.

Arkansas has asked the USDA for permission to ban "soda, low and no-calorie soda, fruit and vegetable drinks with less than...

PepsiCo to Acquire Prebiotic Soda Brand Poppi for $1.95 Billion

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 08:33:54 -0400

PepsiCo has agreed to acquire prebiotic soda leader Poppi for $1.95 billion, the companies just announced. PepsiCo expects $300 million in anticipated tax benefits, the company said. The deal also includes an...

NACS Show 2024: Las Vegas

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 13:47:59 -0400

Coca-Cola has unveiled key innovation for 2025 in advance of this week’s NACS show in Las Vegas. The products will be shown to convenience store operators from around the country as buyers look toward shelf sets early next year. Beverage Digest will attend the show and provide rolling innovation updates for subscribers by email alert and here at Beverage Digest.com. Below are details of key new products disclosed today....

California Judge Dismisses Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling Challenge of KDP Distribution Termination

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 09:55:14 -0400

A California judge has dismissed a request by Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling that the court force Keurig Dr Pepper to renew an agreement for

PepsiCo Launches Gatorade Hydration Booster

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 07:45:55 -0400

PepsiCo launched a new single-serve electrolyte powder today called Gatorade Hydration Booster that is billed as “all-day, always-on hydration.” The product enters a...

Gatorade President Del Pozzo to Join Hershey

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 08:40:22 -0400

PepsiCo Gatorade President and GM Mike Del Pozzo is leaving the company to become president of US confection for chocolate maker Hershey. He starts Sept. 16. The 23-year PepsiCo veteran has led Gatorade since July 2022. “Mike has had an incredible run at PepsiCo, making significant impacts across multiple areas of our business,” PepsiCo Beverages North America CEO Ram Krishnan said in a statement to BD. “He is a true example of the leaders PepsiCo has....

Keurig Dr Pepper to Acquire Kalil Bottling in Arizona

Fri, 31 May 2024 16:01:37 -0400

Keurig Dr Pepper has agreed to acquire the assets of Arizona-based Kalil Bottling. The independent distributor has for...

Reyes Coca-Cola Sues KDP Over Dr Pepper California Distribution Non-Renewal

Mon, 06 May 2024 09:16:02 -0400

Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling has sued Keurig Dr Pepper in California over the company's decision not to renew a franchise agreement with Reyes to distribute Dr Pepper products. The bottler has...

PepsiCo Shifts Blue Cloud Alcohol Strategy from Distribution to Brand Licensing

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 16:30:10 -0500

PepsiCo is shifting its alcohol business strategy from distribution to brand licensing as the company looks to expand Hard Mtn Dew and Lipton Hard Iced Tea nationally at a faster pace, PepsiCo has confirmed to BD. Blue Cloud Distribution will be renamed...

Coca-Cola Launches BodyArmor Zero Sugar Nationwide

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 11:06:05 -0500

Coca-Cola has rolled out BodyArmor Zero Sugar nationwide at retail and online. BodyArmor gave convenience store operators a sneak peek at the product in October during the NACS show in Atlanta. The brand’s entry into the fast-growing...

Coca-Cola’s Red Tree Alcohol Unit to Launch Wine-Based Minute Maid Spiked

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 10:00:42 -0500

Coca-Cola’s Red Tree Beverages is planning a spring launch of the US alcohol unit’s first wine-based product, named Minute Maid Spiked. The drink was developed for the large percentage of legal drinking age consumers who regularly mix alcohol into non-alcoholic juice and juice drinks, including Minute Maid products, Red Tree President Jenny Dowdy said in an interview. “We saw this as a ...

Coke Creates Alcohol Subsidiary Called Red Tree Beverages

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 10:00:03 -0400

Coca-Cola has established a federally permitted alcohol subsidiary called Red Tree Beverages to further explore the US alcohol beverage business, Coke’s Chief of New Revenue Streams Dan White told BD in an interview. The unit, created late last year and “firewalled” from Coca-Cola’s non-alcoholic operations, is permitted to...

Bankrupt Bang Energy Owner Seeks to Close Asset Sale to Monster by Aug. 3

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 11:20:11 -0400

Bankrupt Bang Energy owner Vital Pharmaceuticals and Monster Beverage are now pushing to close a sale agreement for most of Bang’s assets by Aug. 3, according to ...

BodyArmor to Enter ‘Rapid Hydration’ Market With Flash I.V.

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 11:59:11 -0400

Coca-Cola’s BodyArmor is jumping into the fast-growing rapid hydration sports drink segment with a new product called Flash I.V., the company has confirmed to BD. BodyArmor filed for the Flash I.V. trademark in January and will ship the product in the US regionally early next month by way of some Coca-Cola bottlers, BodyArmor CEO Federico Muyshondt said in an interview. The company will take...

Pickleball Craze Draws Beverage Gold Rush

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 09:30:44 -0400

The exploding popularity of pickleball in the US has created a gold rush for beverage companies looking to capitalize on the sport, which is a miniaturized version of tennis played with a hollow plastic ball, oversized ping-pong-like paddle, and bespoke set of rules. A large part of the appeal of pickleball is the democratic nature of the game, which proponents say draws a diverse group of players from across the spectrum of age and athletic ability. That reach, coupled with the social nature of pickleball, is good for consumer packaged goods brands, too, say Pennsylvania craft beer brewers and beverage co-packers...

Pepsi Unveils First New Logo, Visual Identity in 14 Years

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 10:30:25 -0400

PepsiCo will roll out a logo update for its flagship Pepsi trademark this fall, the first such redesign in 14 years. The company’s in-house design firm, led by SVP and Chief Design Officer Mauro Porcini, forged the design over three years. Pictured below, the new logo and “visual identity system” is intended to convey four key messages, Porcini and Pepsi CMO Todd Kaplan told BD in an interview:...