The January 2016 issue of Beverage Industry includes a cover story on our Bottler of the Year, as well as articles about juice smoothies, RTD cold-brew coffee, and supermarket growth. Check it out today!
In 1947, six employees in a wooden World War II Army hangar in Mississippi began distributing Canada Dry products. Today, that small operation has grown into a three-generation, family-run PepsiCo Inc. franchise with 328 SKUs.
By May 2013, Mike Steiner and Jake Paulson had grown weary of the years they had spent on the road touring as front-of-house audio engineers in the rock music industry, so they switched channels and founded a cold-brew coffee company they dubbed Anchorhead Coffee.
This past year, Americans finally got a chance to see whether any the 2015 references in “Back to the Future Part II” would come true. Although the Chicago Cubs attempted to make the World Series prediction a reality, they fell short.
Even though consumers always will have to shop for groceries, the channels in which they visit continually change, and supermarkets now are feeling the pressures of these changes.
As consumers seek out better-for-you beverage options, categories like juice and juice drinks are seeing a retooling of products to help appeal to these health-focused shoppers.
If you’re like me — and roughly one in three Americans — January is the time of new possibilities. Many choose to start the new year with a clean slate and make resolutions for various reasons.
I’ve always had a curiosity about the wine industry, and having a mom who has a strong knowledge of wine has helped fuel this intrigue. However, the diversity of the category always has intimidated me.
For today’s consumer, researching products online is the new norm for consumer packaged goods (CPG). Consumers want to know more about the products they are purchasing well before they grab a shopping cart.
Durability, flexibility key components to new releases
January 15, 2016
VT Hackney Inc. introduced Sidekick, a low-profile, four-bay side-load body mounted on a Ford Transit cab and chassis. It offers many of the same features as Hackney’s larger beverage units, including all-aluminum construction, adjustable bay shelving, a bottom rail power step and rear-mounted hand truck, the company says.
All beverage operations, regardless of segment, are challenged by machinery and equipment repair or replacement issues for processing and production equipment, packaging machinery, and distribution vehicles.
Back when side-load equipment ruled the beverage industry, refrigeration generally was an afterthought, with just a few refrigerated trucks dedicated to delivering dairy products and limited varieties of draft beer. But as product mixes have expanded, a paradigm shift is taking place in the equipment world.
At an annual wellness appointment, most doctors will preach about living a healthy lifestyle to help prevent the development of illnesses. As more consumers embrace this proactive approach, beverage-makers are seeking ingredients that can support this health-and-wellness trend.
Ketel One, Big Red offer limited-edition anniversary packaging
January 15, 2016
To commemorate 325 years of distilling at Nolet Family Distillery, Ketel One vodka announced the release of a limited-edition bottle. The 1-liter bottle now is available nationwide.
Regardless of a beverage's content or packaging, a plastic or metal cap or closure is necessary to keep the packaging spill-proof and contents fresh. Thus, beverage-makers are committed to giving consumers caps that are easy to open, tamper-resistant and biodegradable while still communicating the brand’s identity by using a variety of colors, shapes and graphics.
Thirty-eight percent of consumers prefer aluminum cans when tailgating versus 26 percent who prefer plastic bottles. Thirty-six percent of consumers prefer cans at barbecues or picnics, compared with 30 percent who prefer plastic bottles.
Small-scale farmers are a vital link in global supply chains, producing more than 70 percent of the world’s food. Anyone whose supply chains include smallholder farmers will know that many challenges can emerge in communicating and driving sustainability at a producer level.
Heineken, Napa Valley Wine Train embrace football season
January 15, 2016
U.S. retail sales of tea and ready-to-drink tea grew 19.8 percent to $7.3 billion between 2009 and 2014, according to Chicago-based market research firm Mintel.
My high school government teacher stressed the importance of avoiding ambiguous and loaded language when asking questions. To test this theory, each student developed a question and was asked to go to the lunch room’s open study hall to ask a handful of students our question.