In the battle between Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Dr Pepper has risen to the top, or at least to second place.
For decades, Dr Pepper has lagged behind Coca-Cola and Pepsi in the soda wars, but the peppery drink has now tied with Pepsi for the No. 2 spot in the U.S. as the nation’s No. 1 soda, according to sales data from Beverage Digest. Shared with The Wall Street Journal.
While Dr Pepper and the original Pepsi version are now neck and neck, the overall Pepsi brand, which includes Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Zero Sugar, remains the second-largest soda trademark in the country.
The move comes as consumers are increasingly switching from regular Pepsi to the calorie-free version.
According to the WSJ, Coca-Cola still leads the pack with sales more than double that of its biggest rival, Pepsi.
Keurig Dr Pepper’s success can be attributed to its marketing efforts, unusual flavors such as strawberry and cream, and its prevalence in soda fountains (it is included in both Pepsi and Coca-Cola soda fountains).
Additionally, the drink has garnered attention through social media videos, TikTok The people who make Dirty Dr Pepper.
The WSJ reported that ranking joint second with Pepsi, a company that has held the ranking since at least 1985, is a major boon for Dr Pepper, given that Coca-Cola and Pepsi dominate the $97 billion U.S. soda industry.
PepsiCo, which also handles food products, $18.3 billion Revenues for the 12 weeks ending March 23rd.
Coca-Cola’s earnings through the end of March $11.3 billionKDP’s first quarter net sales were $3.47 billion.
“We have been focused on expanding Pepsi Zero Sugar, which aligns with our business strategy and is where the growth is,” a PepsiCo source told The Post.
