Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. (DPS), Plano, Texas, reported positive net sales for both the fourth quarter of 2014 and the full year.

During the recession, the countercyclical discount retail channel experienced years of growth, even to the point of becoming one of the fastest-growing retail channels during the time period, according to “Dollar & Variety Stores in the US,” an April 2014 report by IBISWorld.

A recent IWSR survey commissioned by international wine and spirits exhibition Vinexpo has found that the United States is driving global wine consumption as the alcohol category’s largest wine market.

When my husband and I find that rare occasion in which we are able to go out and enjoy an evening of dinner and drinks, he usually has better foresight than I do about what meal to select.

In today’s fast-paced world with little down time, consumers are looking for quick, in-and-out shopping trips that fit into their busy lifestyles, says Susan Viamari, editor of thought leadership at Information Resources Inc. (IRI), Chicago.

If major coffee chains are any indication, plant-based dairy alternatives such as almond milk and coconut milk are taking their success mainstream.

Despite the number of hurdles that it has faced within the past year, the convenience store channel still is holding steady, experts note.

As the economy continues to expand, premium and super-premium distilled spirits are coming back stronger than ever, according to the Beverage Information & Insights Group’s “2014 Liquor Handbook.” The Norwalk, Conn.-based company reports that this premiumization trend means that consumers are drinking less but drinking “better,” which resulted in slower case sales growth of 2.2 percent, reaching 210 million 9-liter cases in 2013.

Beverage Industry provides an in-depth look at the performances and trends in non-alcohol and alcohol categories in the last year.

Consumers’ desires for choices have no doubt had impacts on the beverage marketplace. SKU proliferation has altered the look of the everyday shopping trip.