Pepsi No Longer Among America’s Top 3 Sodas

It’s a good day for Coke fans everywhere. In a new report, Beverage Digest found that Pepsi no longer ranks in the Top 3 of sodas in the U.S., Daily Mail reported.

Coke takes the top spot on the list by quite a wide margin, more than double that of any of its rivals, the outlet reported.

In places two and three are Dr. Pepper and Sprite, respectively, per the outlet. The former soft drink accounts for 8.3 percent of all canned soda sales, while the latter one is responsible for 8.03 percent, the outlet reported.

Pepsi, in comparison, only has 7.97 percent of the market, according to the outlet. Despite that, Pepsi is not giving up.

“We’re focused on building the Pepsi brand, which includes options like Zero Sugar and flavor innovations like Wild Cherry,” a spokesperson told the outlet.

The spokesperson further told the outlet that, while Pepsi fell to the fourth spot of most popular sodas in America, its brand overall ranks second behind Coca-Cola. That ranking takes into account all versions of each brand, such as diet and low sugar options.

Pepsi’s Popularity Has Fallen in Recent Years

This marks the second year in a row that Pepsi has slipped in the rankings. When last year’s report was released, Dr. Pepper slid into the number two slot behind Coke, forcing Pepsi into the third space.

Last year, Andrew Springate, Keurig Dr Pepper’s chief marketing officer, reflected on the reasons behind the soda’s rise.

Springate told The Wall Street Journal that Dr. Pepper’s alliances with Pepsi and Coke has served the brand well. Also responsible, he told the outlet, is Dr. Pepper’s consistent marketing themes and rising popularity among Gen Z.

“Dr Pepper has been gaining, [Pepsi] has been declining, and they’re meeting in the middle,” Beverage Digest‘s Duane Stanford told CNN last year.