While Coca-Cola and PepsiCo remain the titans of the beverage industry, they now face significantly increased competion for consumers.
Energy drinks and functional beverages now fight for shelf space alongside traditional sodas. In addition, Keurig Dr. Pepper’s Dr. Pepper has become the second-best selling soda brand in the United States, while Pepsi’s signature brand has dropped to number four.
- Coca‑Cola Classic: About 19.2 % of the U.S. carbonated soft-drink market (2024 data).
- Dr Pepper: Roughly 8.7 %market share in 2025.
- Sprite: About 8.03 % of U.S. soda volume
- Pepsi-Cola: Around 7.97% market share in the most recent data.
- Diet Coke: About 6-6.5 % share, rounding out the top-5 list in U.S. soft-drink rankings.
Sources: Accio, Beverage Digest, Visual Capitalist
Those products, however face new challenges.
- Convenience store energy drink sales, for example, climbed 10% for the year ending Dec. 31, 2025, to more than $16 billion while unit sales grew 8%, per Circana data.
- Energy drinks have reached an all-time high in market share, growing steadily from 1.3% of c-store sales in 2019 to 2.4% by the third quarter of 2025, according to Datassential.
Source: C-Store Dive
To fight off these challengers, Coca–Cola and PepsiCo. have entered the wellness and energy spaces. They have also used limited-time flavors, and special packaging to win over customers.
“Limited time offers create this notion of scarcity and really incentivize the consumer to purchase immediately or risk the opportunity of never experiencing the products,” David Schneidman, the Director of Alvarez & Marsal Consumer Retail Group told Modern Retail. “A finite offering, both in time and volume makes consumers much more proactive,”
Now, PepsiCo has partnered with Pokemon to launch five new exclusive flavors, but “catching them all,” so to speak, won’t be easy for Americans.
Pepsi partners with Pokemon
PepsiCo and Pokemon have partnered as part of the collectible card brand’s 30th anniversary celebration. It’s an elaborate partnership that will include artwork of 18 different Pokémon over several different drink flavors from Pepsico, Sporked reported.
The bottles will be available across six soda flavors, with each one getting three exclusive Pokémon bottles featuring three different “evolutions” of one Pokémon. The brands are:
- C.C. Lemon: A carbonated lemon soda that features the Vitamin C of 28 lemons in each can.
Pokémon:Pichu, Pikachu, and Raichu. - Pepsi Big Zero: A Japanese-exclusive, sugar-free version of Pepsi with zero calories.
Pokémon: Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard. - Pepsi Big Zero Lemon: Pepsi Big Zero with a strong lemon kick.
Pokémon: Squirtle, Wartortle, and Blastoise. - POP Melon: A sweet, muskmelon-flavored soda based on the soda fountain drinks of classic Japanese coffee shops, known as “kissatens.”
Pokémon: Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venusaur. - Natchan Apple: A sweetened apple juice.
Pokémon: Applin (of course), Dipplin & Hydrapple. - Natchan Orange: A sweetened orange juice.
Pokémon: Pawmi, Pawmo, and Pawmot
PepsiCo
Where can Americans find these Pepsi products?
While this partnership is taking place in Japan, some bottles will be imported and can be found at Asian grocery stores. They will also be available for import online, although that will come with premium pricing.
The products are distributed by Suntory, a Japanese PepisCo partner.
Sporked shared some advice on finding these collectibles in the U.S.
“As for the states, your best bet is searching out Asian grocery store and retail chains like Mitsuwa Marketplace or Daiso. If you want to order them online, you might try the online Asian supermarket Weee!, which offers a wide range of Suntory products,” the website shared.
PepsiCo grows its beverage brands
In addition to LTOs and special packaging, PepsiCo has been moving into spaces beyond its traditional soda market. That led to 9% growth in its North American beverage sales in the first quarter of 2026.
“Some of that is business that we acquired like Poppi, some of that is an increased portfolio of energy brands that are generating growth to our business. So we feel good about the 9%. We feel good about the acceleration, CEO Ramon Laguarta said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call.
Pepsico has also leveraged its signature brand to move into another growing beverage space.
“PepsiCo is proud to introduce Pepsi Prebiotic Cola, the evolution of cola created to reflect the tastes and values of today’s cola lovers. This innovation includes 5 grams of cane sugar, has 30 calories, and contains no artificial sweeteners. It delivers the classic crisp, refreshing taste of Pepsi — with the added functional ingredient of 3 grams of prebiotic fiber,” Pepsi shared in a press release.
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