OTHER NEWS - Feb. 4, 1993

Coca-Cola Widens Lead Over Pepsi: Coca-Cola Classic’s lead widened over Pepsi as the nation’s best-selling soft drink last year, but overall industry sales grew at the slowest pace since the mid-1970s, according to a widely followed trade newsletter. Beverage Digest said Coca-Cola Classic was the best-selling brand with 20% of the market, unchanged from 1991. Pepsi held on to second place, although its share dropped to 18% from 18.4%. Diet Coke was No. 3 again at 9.1%, down from 9.3%, and Diet Pepsi remained in fourth place at 6.1%, down from 6.3%. Dr Pepper made the biggest share gain among leading soft drink brands, rising 0.4 percentage point to 5.9% and finishing fifth again. Beverage Digest said industrywide retail sales rose to $47.4 billion in 1992, up 0.9% from $47 billion a year earlier.