Late in the first quarter of this year, US soft drink retail sales begin to cycle the impact of pandemic-related pantry loading last year. To get a baseline understanding of the extent to which elevated retail sales are sticking now that pandemic lockdowns are easing, BD compared data from the first quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2019 (instead of 2020).

Higher pricing has helped beverage makers offset volume declines against unusually high comparisons generated by last year’s pandemic-driven consumer stock up. US all- channel retail data...

Coke system bottlers in the US have warned of a retail customer backlash and expressed frustration at Coca-Cola for speaking out about a new voting law in the company’s home state of Georgia. In recent statements...