Coke gave ground to Pepsi in 2001

NEW YORK - Coca-Cola Co. is still tops by a wide margin in the $61.7 billion U.S. soft drink market even though it lost some ground last year.

Coca-Cola Classic and Pepsi, meanwhile, remained the two most popular carbonated soft drink brands even though consumers bought less of each of them, according to two independent reports released Thursday.

Overall, carbonated soft drink sales rose 0.6 percent overall in the U.S. to just over 10 million 192-ounce cases last year, according to the Beverage Digest-Maxwell report. That was faster than the 0.2 percent rise in 2000 but it trailed the industry's annual 2-3 percent growth rate in the 1990s.

Research firm Beverage Marketing Corp.'s report said overall sales volume rose 0.5 percent to nearly 10.3 million cases last year.

Michael Bellas, chairman of Beverage Marketing, said the tepid growth reflected increasing competition from non-carbonated beverages such as bottled water in the past few years.

Atlanta-based Coca-Cola's carbonated soft drinks accounted for 43.7 percent of industry sales volume in 2001, down from 44.1 percent a year earlier, according the Beverage Digest-Maxwell figures.

The brands from Somers, N.Y.-based Pepsi-Cola accounted for 31.6 percent of the U.S. carbonated soft drink market, up from 31.4 percent in 2000, the report said.

John Sicher, editor and publisher of the trade publication Beverage Digest, said Pepsi benefited from new products or brand extensions - Sierra Mist, Mountain Dew Code Red and Pepsi Twist.

The Dr Pepper/Seven Up division of Britain's Cadbury Schweppes PLC captured the third largest U.S. market share in 2001 at 15.6 percent, up from 14.7 percent a year earlier, the Beverage Digest-Maxwell data said.

Sicher said Dr Pepper/Seven Up's increase reflected the addition of the Royal Crown family of soft drinks that parent Cadbury acquired in late 2000.

Among the top-selling brands, Coca-Cola Classic was the best seller at 19.9 percent of the market, followed by Pepsi at 13.2 percent, the Beverage Digest-Maxwell data said. Coke sales volume fell 2 percent from a year ago while Pepsi sales were down 2.8 percent, the figures showed.

Rounding out the top five were Diet Coke at 8.8 percent of the market, Mountain Dew at 6.9 percent and Sprite at 6.5 percent.

Dr Pepper was sixth at 6.2 percent followed by Diet Pepsi at 5.3 percent, 7Up at 1.9 percent, Caffeine Free Diet Coke at 1.7 percent and Barq's root beer at 1.1 percent, Beverage Digest-Maxwell figures said.

The Beverage Marketing share estimates were slightly different but the order was the same except for listing regular and diet Minute Maid as the 10th biggest brand.