Soft drink manufacturing in the United States (US) is currently wrought with challenges resulting to the decreased sales of soft drinks. Trends among consumers lowering their intake of sugar and calories have primarily contributed to the declining sales of soft drink products. It is also noteworthy to consider the expansion of the beverage market, which has led consumers to veer away from soft drink products by trying out other options. Health risks also became a major concern of consumers against soft drink products, leading soft drink manufacturers in the US towards lower sales figures (Euromonitor International).
In response to concerns over sugar and calorie intake, and health risks, soft drink manufacturers in the US have since recalibrated their strategies for introducing “better-for-you” (BFY) products. As mandated by the 2010 Federal Dietary Guidelines, soft drink manufacturers in the US have since began to introduce low-to-zero sugar and low-to-zero calorie soft drinks. The expansion of Coca-Cola, for instance, by acquiring US firms producing non-carbonate soft drinks signified the importance of such an approach. Such, in turn, is perceived to enable Coca-Cola to develop and produce more non-carbonate soft drinks, as well as inspire other competitors, particularly PepsiCo and Dr. Pepper-Snapple, to follow the same trend (Euromonitor International).
Supermarkets remain a force to reckon when it comes to generating soft drink sales in the US, given the vast product and market accommodations of those establishments. Soft drink manufacturers in the US typically provide supermarkets with a wealth of marketing strategies exposing them to a sizable portion of the entire beverage market. Nonetheless, soft drink manufacturers in the US are expected to experience minimal growth in sales within the rest of the present decade, considering all the aforementioned factors. Concerns over soft drink consumption and the transition of soft drink manufacturers towards low-to-zero sugar and low-to-zero calorie options would result to slower soft drink sales in the next few years (Euromonitor International).
Works Cited
Euromonitor International. (2011). Passport: Soft Drinks in the US. Chicago, IL: Euromonitor International.
