October 24: It’s been a bad year in the United States for non-alcoholic drink sales, especially carbonated soft drinks, writes US editor Richard Estrada.
Total 2008 drink sales are projected to decline by 0.3 percent and carbonated sodas are expected to fall 3 percent compared to last year, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation.
“There’s been an across-the-board slowdown in liquid refreshments,” BMC’s senior Vice president Gary Hemphill revealed this week at the InterBev 2008 convention in Las Vegas. “Consumers are holding on tighter to their money.”
