Dr Pepper ties with Pepsi for the No. 2 soda behind Coke

In the battle between Coke and Pepsi, Dr Pepper is coming out on top — or at least second.

For decades Dr Pepper has trailed Coca-Cola and Pepsi in the soda war, but now the peppery beverage has tied with Pepsi for the country’s No. 2 carbonated soft drink spot, according to sales-volume data from Beverage Digest shared with The Wall Street Journal.

The OG versions of Dr Pepper and Pepsi are now level with each other though the overall Pepsi brand — which includes Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Zero Sugar — remains the No. 2 soda trademark in the country.

This comes as consumers increasingly switch from regular Pepsi to no-calorie versions.

Coke still reigns supreme with more than twice the volume of archrival Pepsi, per WSJ.


A can of Pepsi on a flat surface against a blue backdrop.
Pepsi is no longer the only soda in the No. 2 spot. HEMINXYLAN – stock.adobe.com

Keurig Dr Pepper’s success with Dr Pepper comes from its marketing pushes, unusual flavors like strawberries and cream and ubiquity in soda fountains — it’s included in both Pepsi and Coke ones.

Plus, the beverage has gained attention in viral social media videos, like TikToks of people making a Dirty Dr Pepper.

Landing in the No. 2 spot with Pepsi — which has held the ranking since at least 1985 — is a boon for Dr Pepper, considering Coke and Pepsi dominate the $97 billion US soda industry, the WSJ said.

PepsiCo, which also has food in its portfolio, took in $18.3 billion in revenue in the 12 weeks ended March 23.

Coca-Cola’s revenue through the end of March was $11.3 billion. KDP’s net sales for Q1 were $3.47 billion.

“Our focus has been on growing our Pepsi Zero Sugar, which aligns with our business strategy. That’s where the growth is in the category,” a source from PepsiCo told The Post.