(NEXSTAR) – An increasing number of soda drinkers in the U.S. are getting their fizzy fix from Dr Pepper, according to sales data first obtained by the Wall Street Journal.
The soft drink, originally developed by a Texas pharmacist in 1885, has finally tied Pepsi as the second-best-selling soda in the United States, sales data compiled by Beverage Digest shows. Specifically, the site’s analysis shows Dr Pepper and Pepsi each with an 8.3% share of the carbonated soft drink market.
Both drinks, meanwhile, still trail far behind Coca-Cola in sales, which holds 19.2% of the market share, Beverage Digest’s data shows.
It should be noted that Pepsi’s portfolio of soft drinks still outsells Dr Pepper’s portfolio on the whole. But when comparing just Pepsi to Dr Pepper (and not including any diet varieties or other flavors), the two are neck and neck in terms of sales at retail outlets and soda fountains.
A representative for Beverage Digest, in a statement to Nexstar, also clarified that the data reflected volume share at the end of 2023.
Speaking with WSJ, Andrew Springate, the chief marketing officer for Keurig Dr Pepper, said there were several reasons for Dr Pepper’s boost, including marketing efforts and new flavors aimed at younger consumers, which have resulted in a bigger share of Gen Z fans. It also didn’t hurt that TikTok recently picked up on a trend of mixing Dr Pepper with pickles (or pickle juice), with several different viral videos getting millions of views apiece.
Dr Pepper, too, is more often found on soda fountains than Coke or Pepsi, both of which often have exclusive contracts with fast food outlets or stadiums to not be sold alongside each other — whereas Dr Pepper can be sold alongside either, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Duane Stanford, the editor and publisher of Beverage Digest, further attributed Dr Pepper’s rise with a growth in “multicultural and spice-loving consumers,” as well as Pepsi’s efforts to focus on other products — namely its “zero sugar portfolio” — over its main formula.
“Dr Pepper has graduated from an ingrained Southern staple to a fierce national brand that has spiced up the soda category,” Stanford told Nexstar.
Sprite, meanwhile, is nipping at both Dr Pepper and Pepsi’s heels. In data shared with Nexstar from Beverage Digest, Sprite held an 8.1% share of the market at the end of 2023, with Diet Coke not far behind at 7.8%. Mountain Dew (6.3%), Coke Zero (3.8%), Diet Pepsi (3.5%), Fanta (2.9%) and Canada Dry Ginger Ale (2.2%) rounded out the top 10 brands by market share at the end of 2023, according to Beverage Digest.
