Seedhi Baat: Sprite zips past Pepsi in soft drink sales

NEW DELHI: Here���s how to celebrate a lemon in a slowdown. Sprite, the clear lemon drink from the Coca-Cola India stable, has trounced PepsiCo���s flagship brand Pepsi to emerge as No 2 in the pecking order of soft drink sales in India.

Thums Up, the age-old brand that Parle���s Ramesh Chauhan sold to Coca-Cola India, retains the top slot, according to latest data by AC Neilsen.

The clear lemon segment accounts for about 21% of the Rs 7,500-crore sparkling beverage industry in India, industry estimates show. The AC Nielsen data, subscribed to by both PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, show that with a market share of 14.6%, Sprite overtook Pepsi���s 13.6% in October 2008.

Since then, its market share has inched upwards while that of Pepsi has slipped. Figures for December 2008 show that Sprite, with a 15.6% share compared to brand Pepsi���s 13%, is closing in on Thums Up���s 16.16%.

When contacted by ET, a PepsiCo spokesman said: ���In 2008, brand Pepsi remained the No. 1 selling beverage brand across all categories based on shipment data that we share on a regular basis. Last year has been good for PepsiCo, with our beverages portfolio gaining significant momentum despite the economic downturn and growing at over 20% in the second-half of 2008.���

���All our brands are doing well in their respective categories. However, due to strategic reasons, we do not disclose market shares of any of our brands,��� said a Coca-Cola India spokesman. Last week, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo had announced extensive marketing plans for their respective clear lemon drinks ��� Sprite and 7 Up ��� for the season. The cola giants are also learnt to be working on introducing branded lemonade in the country.