Chicago-based Argo Tea, maker of all-natural, tea-based drinks and loose-leaf teas, is partnering with Whole Foods Market to launch what it says is the world’s first line of ready-to-drink (RTD), cold brew, single-estate bottled teas into the retailer’s stores nationally. According to Argo, the release of the RTD line follows a successful test of the teas in […]
Category: Beverage News
Beverage news for grocery retailers: soft drinks, water, juice, coffee, energy drinks, beer and wine trends and new products.
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Posted inBeverage News, Home Page Latest News, Marketing News, National, Suppliers
Coca-Cola Takes Top Spot, Pepsi Falls Behind In TotalSocial Rankings
Engagement Labs, a data and technology solutions provider, has released its TotalSocial rankings of the top-performing non-alcoholic beverage brands in the U.S. with respect to consumer conversations. The report is intended to “help brand marketers better understand the consumer conversations taking place about today’s top beverage brands both online and offline,” the company says. It […]
Posted inBeverage News, Home Page Latest News, Southwest
Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water Joins Coca-Cola’s Portfolio
Coca-Cola North America has acquired Topo Chico, a zero-sugar, zero-calorie, sparkling mineral water brand. The company’s Venturing & Emerging Brands (VEB) unit will bring Topo Chico into its portfolio to “nurture its storied history and century-old brand values, and bring the popular brand to more people across the U.S.” Topo Chico will continue to be imported […]
Posted inNortheast, Beverage News, Center Store, Merchandising News, Snacks Brands
CVS Launches Health & Wellness Vending Machines
CVS Pharmacy is introducing automated retail vending machines stocked with on-the-go necessities including over-the-counter health products, “better-for-you” snacks and personal care products typically sold at CVS Pharmacy locations. “We are always looking for new ways to combine convenience and innovation to help better serve our customers,” said Judy Sansone, SVP of front store business and chief […]
Posted inBeverage News, Executive News, Home Page Latest News, Suppliers, West
Bruhn To Join Pabst As Chief Marketing Officer
Pabst Brewing Co. (PBC), an independent brewer, has named Matt Bruhn to the role of chief marketing officer (CMO), effective Oct. 2. In this role, he will oversee marketing for the entire PBC portfolio, including heritage, imports, craft and other categories. Bruhn will take over the responsibilities of Dan McHugh, PBC’s previous CMO for the […]
Posted in, Beverage News, Grocery News, Health & Wellness
Court Blocks San Francisco’s Health Warnings On Sugary Drinks
The U.S. Appeals Court for the 9th Circuit has blocked a 2015 San Francisco ordinance that requires advertisers of sugary drinks to post health warnings. The ordinance required advertisers who post advertisements for sugar-sweetened beverages include the following statement: “WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. This is a […]
Posted inBeverage News, Amazon Fresh, Home Page Latest News, Southwest, Suppliers, Whole Foods
Chuck Norris Water Brand Expands With Brookshire’s, Super 1
CForce “premium artesian water,” from CForce Bottling Co., owned by Gena and Chuck Norris, soon will be available for purchase at Brookshire’s Food & Pharmacy and Super 1 Foods stores. Currently sold in 15 states and online through Amazon.com, CForce will be sold at 155 Brookshire’s Food & Pharmacy and Super 1 Foods stores in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Mississippi on store shelves […]
Posted inPackaging News, Beverage News
How Package Design Attracts Today’s Wine Consumer
As of June 2017, more than 3,500 new wine products had hit shelves in the last year, representing 14 percent of all items in the category and 4.5 percent of category sales volume. But the influx isn’t just giving consumers an array of new brands to choose from; it’s forcing retailers to make tough choices […]
Posted inBeverage News, Home Page Latest News, National
Wine Consumption Increases Led By Sparkling And Champagne
The U.S. wine market continued to show strength in 2016, growing 2.4 percent to 341.1 million 9-liter cases led by a 6.6 percent upsurge in the consumption of total sparkling wines, according to the Beverage Information Group’s 2017 Wine Handbook. A strong U.S. economy, employment and wage gains, and larger discretionary incomes all contributed to the […]
Posted inBeverage News, Amazon Fresh, Center Store, Grocery News, Home Page Latest News, National, Whole Foods
Coffee Brands Ranked Top Selling On Amazon Grocery
One Click Retail data and sales measurements find that three out of five of the top selling brands on Amazon Grocery are coffee. According to One Click Retail’s, the top 5 highest-selling grocery and food brands on Amazon are: 1. San Francisco Bay Coffee (~2 percent of Amazon grocery and food share) 2. KIND (~2 percent of […]
Posted inBeverage News, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, Produce News, Suppliers, West
Langer Farms Ramps Up California-Grown Apple Cider Line
Family-owned Langer Juice Co. Inc., based in City of Industry, California, is building on the latest addition to its lineup of juices. The company began testing an apple cider under its new Langer Farms brand last year and launched it this year. Soon, Langer Farms will begin peak production of its Unfiltered Apple Cider, according […]
Posted inGrocery News, Beverage News, Center Store, Northeast
Harvest Hill Beverage Co. Promotes Champlin To President Of Sales
Harvest Hill Beverage Co. in Stamford, Connecticut, has promoted David Champlin to president of sales. Champlin, who has been with the company for about three years, will oversee the company’s selling organization of more than 40 people, and will be responsible for global sales efforts across all channels. Harvest Hill’s beverage brands include Juicy Juice, […]
Posted inNortheast, Beverage News, Health & Wellness, Wholesaler/Distributor News
Bay State Debates Merits Of Sugared Beverage Tax
Massachusetts residents could pay a significantly higher tax on beverages with added sugar, such as soda and sports drinks. Under review in the Massachusetts Legislature, Senate Bill 1562/House Bill 3329, authored by Sen. Jason Lewis and Rep. Kay Khan, seeks to create a tiered excise tax on sugary drinks, with tax level based on beverages’ sugar […]
Posted inNortheast, Beverage News, Grocery News, Suppliers, Wholesaler/Distributor News
Heineken, Molson Coors Sign Import Pact For Sol Beer In U.S.
Heineken and Molson Coors Brewing Co. have signed a 10-year import agreement whereby Molson Coors will import, market and distribute the Sol brand of beer in the U.S. through its MillerCoors division beginning this fall. Sol will continue to be brewed in Mexico. For MillerCoors, the agreement adds an authentic Mexican beer to its portfolio. Combining Sol’s brand […]
Posted inBeverage News, Home Page Latest News, West
Is Nation’s First Soda Tax Working As Intended? New Study Says Yes
A new study of Berkeley’s tax on sugary drinks, the first in the nation, suggests that it may be accomplishing its goals. The study was published Tuesday in PLOS Medicine by the Public Health Institute and the University of North Carolina. “Changes in prices, sales, consumer spending and beverage consumption one year after a tax on […]
Posted inBeverage News, Home Page Latest News, Midwest, Suppliers
Brewers Association Releases Top 50 Breweries List
The Brewers Association (BA)—the not-for-profit trade group representing small and independent craft brewers—has released its annual lists of the top 50 craft and overall brewing companies in the U.S., based on beer sales volume. Of the top 50 overall brewing companies, 40 were craft brewing companies. “With such a broad range of brewers in today’s beer landscape, the […]
Posted inBeverage News, Executive News, Home Page Latest News, National, Suppliers
Talking Rain CEO Abruptly Departs
Kevin Klock, president and CEO of Talking Rain Beverage Co., the maker of Sparkling Ice, has left the company. A reason was not given in press release issued Friday by the company, though Klock was in New York City conducting media interviews as recently as late February with new chief marketing officer Brian Kuz, according […]
Posted inBeverage News, Home Page Latest News, Northeast
Pepsi Blames Philadelphia Soda Tax For Job Cuts
Pepsi said Wednesday that it is cutting 80 to 100 jobs in Philadelphia and laid blame on the city’s beverage tax that took effect Jan. 1. The layoffs reportedly will happen over the next few months and impact frontline and supervisory positions. Pepsi employs a total of 423 people in the area, where it has […]
Posted inBakery News, Beverage News, Dairy News, Equipment & Technology, Grocery News, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, Private Label Brands, Southwest
Brookshire’s Dairy Plant Sale Follows Bakery Closure
Tyler, Texas-based Brookshire Grocery Co. (BGC) has sold its ice cream, dairy and water plants to Springfield, Missouri-based Hiland Dairy. Chairman and CEO Brad Brookshire said BGC’s “focus has always been on our retail stores, which our manufacturing plants supported. “But with an abundant offering of quality products now available through the supplier community, we […]
Posted inGrocery News, Beverage News, Center Store, Corporate Store News, Home Page Latest News, Marketing News, Merchandising News, Southwest, Suppliers
Big Red, Kroger And Weber Kicked Up Summer Sales
Austin, Texas-based beverage company Big Red reports that its “100 Days of BBQ” summer retail promotion and marketing campaign in Kroger stores in Louisville, Kentucky—with help from Weber—generated a 15.7 percent sales increase in dollars. The goal? A 10 percent increase. Big Red hosted Weber Mobile Grill Academy classes at the Kroger stores as part of […]