• 🏪 Beverage Bytes: Convenience Sales Slow
• 🤝 Pepsi Teams Up With Bobby Flay 
• 💡 NIQ: BevAlc Sales Growth Decelerates
• ⚽ Barstool Gets Higher
• 🍎 Life Cider Expands Athlete Ambassador Network
• 💧 Review: Everhop Sparkling Hop Water

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C-store retailers remain optimistic, but a tad more cautious about the outlook of total beverage sales this year, projecting 4.6% growth for 2024 according to the Q1 Beverage Bytes survey from Goldman Sachs Equity Research.

• Total beverage sales (non-alc and alcoholic) in the convenience channel grew 2.6% in Q1, decelerating quarter-over-quarter from 4.8% growth in Q4 2023. 
• But that’s still down from last year – beverages were up 6.2% in 2023.

💥 Bang is Back? Apparently! Bang sales grew 4% in the first quarter after more than a year of straight declines, including a -15% drop in Q4. 

• Monster’s stewardship may be taking off, but retailer sentiment is mixed – 19% said sales had improved for the brand, but 44% say they’ve yet to see any change and another 37% said sales were still falling.

🛒 If you’re waiting on Spring resets then good news – there’s a bit of expansion on the horizon. Key word “a bit.” An 80% majority say they don’t plan to change the size of their shelf or cooler allotment to beverages this season, but the other 20% will be increasing the space given to NA drinks, with an estimated 4.5% expansion on a weighted average store basis.

To celebrate the (upcoming) arrival of grilling season, Pepsi has joined forces with grill master and culinary expert Bobby Flay to launch two new flavors “designed to elevate the taste of BBQ foods.” 

🍑 The new LTOs – Pepsi Peach and Pepsi Lime – were crafted to provide a sweet flavor that enhances the smoky, savory flavors created on a grill. Both varieties will soon be available for purchase nationwide in 12 oz. cans and 20 oz. bottles. 

📺 As part of the partnership, Flay will be featured in an upcoming linear TV campaign, in-store displays, digital content shorts, and a social series of grill tips, tricks and tutorials leading up to Memorial Day and continuing throughout the summer. 

Total BevAlc sales growth decelerated in the two-week period ending April 6, with dollar sales down -0.8% in the two-week period, compared to +1.6% in the four weeks, according to an analysis of NielsenIQ data by Goldman Sachs Equity Research. The data offers a glimpse of fast moving categories and brands like:

• Spirit-based RTDs, slightly down to +18.3% in the two-weeks versus +21.2% in the four-week period and +38.1% in the 52-week period.
• High Noon continues to outpace the category, with sales up +28% and volume just behind at +27.5%.On the other hand, lapping its one-year anniversary, Jack Daniel’s RTD dollar sales growth dropped sharply, down -10.4% for two-weeks versus +172.2% in the 52-weeks.
• In another hot category, FMB +8.1%, compared to +10.2% in the four-weeks and +16% in the 52-weeks. Hard Tea’s growth slowed slightly up +24.4% in the two-weeks, led by Twisted Tea with sales at +16.2% versus +30.8% for the 52-weeks. 

Read the full story on BevNET.

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Barstool Sports is pulling up a seat at the hemp lounge. The digital media company, which hasn’t been shy about its ambitions in the alcoholic beverage sector, has partnered with hemp THC-infused social tonic brand Cann on a marketing collaboration.

🏌️ The pre-summer campaign will see Barstool promote Cann across a number of its audio and video brands, including shows Bussin’ With the Boys, Chicks in the Office, Spittin’ Chiclets and golfing podcast Fore Play (get it?)

🪴 This is Barstool’s first THC brand collaboration and may represent a larger, mainstream opportunity for the category.

🙋 What They Said: “We are big believers in the THC drink category and couldn’t be more excited to have Cann as our first partner in this space. Not only are they one of the top brands in the category but they are leading the charge and paving the way,” Ryan McDermott, SVP of Sales for Barstool Sports.

Functional beverage company Life Cider unveiled a slew of new professional football, dietitian and trainer brand ambassador partnerships today, including a number of Dallas Cowboys players like starting quarterback Dak Prescott. The company also reported it has seen rapid distribution growth and increased retailer interest in the last year.

📈 The New Beverage Showdown finalist brand claims that since 2023, it has seen demand surge among professional athletes and teams who use the canned apple cider vinegar (ACV) drink for energy, mental clarity and digestive regulation.

😁 The brand’s 5-SKUs (Berry Pear, Black Cherry, Mango Citrus, Pineapple Coconut and Tropical Bliss) are fortified with vitamins C, D3, B12 and Zinc to bring additional health benefits to the lightly-sweetened honey, ACV drink.

Everhop is the latest entrant seeking to make a splash in the growing category of hop-infused sparkling water with a four-SKU line of sparkling waters that pairs a specific hop variety with a splash of fruit juice. Are the distinctly hop-centric varieties enough to differentiate the newcomer from competitors?

Find out by reading the full review on BevNET.