The Coca-Cola Co. has created a variety of retail options, including the recyclable Give It Back retail rack made from corrugated cardboard, to allow for placement of its products throughout a retail outlet.

When it comes to category management, retail experts often agree that beverage manufacturers are on the leading edge of understanding assortment and placement of their products within retail outlets. Paul Weitzel, managing partner at Willard Bishop, Barrington, Ill., attributes part of the segment’s success to the direct store distribution (DSD) system used by many manufacturers.