C-store Beverage Sales Continue Positive Momentum

NEW YORK – Total dollar sales for carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) continued a recent upward trend, increasing by 2.2 percent in the U.S. convenience store channel over the four-week period that ended July 6, reported Wells Fargo Securities LLC's Bonnie Herzog. This positive change was driven by equivalent unit volume declines of 2.4 percent and average equivalent price growth of 4.7 percent, according to Nielsen C-Store Beverages data.

During this time period, PepsiCo Inc. posted its largest share loss in the channel in over a year, while The Coca-Cola Co. gained the most share, most likely due to its strategy of being more promotional with pricing, Herzog said. Coca-Cola dollar sales increased by 4 percent, while PepsiCo and Dr Pepper Snapple Group saw dollar sales increase by less than a percentage point each.

Meanwhile, the energy segment also improved, posting positive dollar sales growth of 5.8 percent. Monster Energy's no-calorie sugar-free Zero Ultra drink, in particular, showed an ongoing strong performance, while Coca-Cola's NOS drink also contributed to the company's recent strong performance in energy.

Beer dollar sales also improved by 0.6 percent during the four-week period. Dollar sales for Anheuser-Busch InBev and MillerCoors declined, while dollar sales for Crown Imports, Heineken and the Boston Beer Co. saw positive growth.