Coke could prolly make as much money selling WATER as it does selling sugar water...
Posted on 03/09/2006 2:25:29 PM PST by nickcarraway
The next generation may not be the Pepsi generation — or the Coke generation, for that matter.
For years, soda has been the quintessential American drink, considered the perfect thirst quencher, morning pick-me-up or accompaniment to lunch or dinner.
But that is slowly changing.
As Americans look for greater variety in their drinks and strive for healthier diets, consumption of soda — with its 250 calories and 67 grams of sugar in a 20-ounce bottle — is slipping.
Data released yesterday by Beverage Digest, the industry trade publication, shows that for the first time in 20 years, the number of cases of soda sold in the United States declined. Case volume in 2005 was down 0.7 percent, to 10.2 billion cases.
Coke's flagship brand, Coca-Cola Classic, was down 2 percent, and original Pepsi from PepsiCo was down 3.2 percent.
In recent years, soda has come under increasing fire from critics who see it as little more than liquid candy and blame it for contributing to America's looming problem of childhood obesity. Results of a study that was released on Monday link soda to weight gain among teenagers.
While soft drinks are still the country's most heavily consumed beverage, the category is losing ground to bottled water, sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade and energy drinks like Red Bull and Full Throttle. Last year's volume data for these drinks is not yet available, but John Sicher, publisher of Beverage Digest, said he expected that the growth in these three categories would be up by double digits.
"Traditional carbonated soft drinks have got a tough road ahead," Mr. Sicher said. "The migration to water and sports drinks and other noncarbonated drinks seems to be permanent."
In a research report yesterday, William Pecoriello, a beverage analyst at
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
It's like this:
"You wanna Coke?"
"Awrite."
"What kind?"
"You got orange or root beer?"
"Naw, just regular Coke and Sprite."
"Gimme a Sprite."
I was always a drinker of regular Pepsi until about 2 years ago when I was diagnosed with sugar, and now drink different flavors of diet Pepsi. I don't care for their diet Pepsi cola. I prefer their diet Pepsi Twist, Vanilla, Wild Cherry, Lime and Pepsi One. I also drink A&W diet Root Beer and diet Creme Soda.
I grew up in Rochester, New York and it was POP there. I moved a couple of hours east of Rochester, and they call it SODA here.
in alabama we say coke....and the map reflects that too...
Grew up calling it "Coke" (mostly West Texas w/ parents from the South), picked up "soda" from my San Antonio born-and-raised husband.
I never knew New Englanders called it soda as well.
Coke could prolly make as much money selling WATER as it does selling sugar water...
Yahoo! Mountain Dew!
That's my favorite.
We called colas "Coke" (RC, Pepsi, Co'Cola). Anything else was a "cold drink" (Tab, Sprite, 7up, flavored drinks).
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I'm a Type II Diabetic who used to drink several sodas a day. I switched to Powerade and (unsweetened) iced tea. Powerade has about 1/4ths the sugar of a Mountain Dew or original Coke. I don't even know about iced tea but, lacking sweeteners, I presume the sugar count is low.
I can't necessarily blame sodas for my condition, though. Fast food staples and desserts are just as culpable.
Then again, I see really obese people who don't have my problems so how can you conclude there is a definitive link?
So what are "others"?
Texans refer to all pretty much all carbonated beverages as "coke", as in "Let's go get a coke". Some people say soda-water, as well.
I have a vending route (and I sell a ton of drinks). If someone asks me for a coke while I'm filling a machine, I'm always careful to ask "what kind".
"Soda sales fall... Dentists and Dieticians hardest hit"
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