Image Source: Pixabay

Here’s a fun post on changing beverage dominance.

CBS News reports PepsiCo says it will shut down manufacturing operations in Detroit

“PepsiCo Beverages U.S. recently announced the shutdown of manufacturing, transport and maintenance operations at our Detroit site. Our warehouse, fleet, delivery, sales and field service teams will continue to operate at this location,” said the statement from PepsiCo Beverages U.S. “We are committed to supporting those impacted through this transition, and we are offering pay and benefits to impacted employees.”

According to the company, 84 employees, including 51 operations technicians, will be affected by the changes at the Mack Avenue plant, effective Sept. 27. 

A notice about the layoffs was posted to Michigan’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act site.

The State of Michigan routinely posts such notices online after they have been received and processed by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. The details cited in those letters typically include how many people are affected and their job roles.

In the grand scheme of things, this rates a big zero. Only 84 employees are impacted.

Fox News reported the plant employed 400 total as recently as 2020.

Coca Cola Is Dominant

The layoffs come less than a year after PepsiCo closed four plants across the country – in Cincinnati, Chicago, Atlanta, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Those plants were closed after soft quarterly reports.

A week ago, PepsiCo reported better-than-expected numbers for the second quarter.

However, Pepsi’s sales have declined over recent years and in May, the company was knocked off of the second-most popular of America’s best-selling soft drinks.

Coca-Cola dominates the landscape, accounting for almost 20% of all carbonated sodas, followed by Dr. Pepper, then Sprite, before Pepsi at number 4, followed by Diet Coke.

Fun Numbers

Sprite is owned by Coca-Cola. So Coca-Cola (KO) has the #1, #3, and #5 spots. Pepsi (PEP) is way down the list at #4.

Dr. Pepper, Squirt, and Canada Dry are owned by Keurig Dr Pepper

Decades ago, I used to drink massive amounts of Pepsi. Then I shifted to diet Pepsi to stop weight gain. I shed pounds fast. Eventually, also decades ago, I stopped drinking both Pepsi and diet Pepsi.

I don’t drink any Coke products at all, and never did. But I do drink diet Mountain Dew, a Pepsi product.

I don’t like either Sprite or 7-Up but I do like Squirt.

Perhaps I should switch to diet Squirt to avoid the caffeine in Mountain Dew.

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