Latest news with #WildCherry
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Pepsi knocked out of America's top three sodas in humiliating shake-up
Pepsi was once Coca Cola's main rival — but now it's slipped so far that it no longer ranks among the top three sodas in America. Just last year, Pepsi was dethroned by Dr Pepper as the No 2 soda brand in the US. Now, Sprite has overtaken it too, claiming third place. According to Beverage Digest, Sprite accounted for 8.03 percent of all canned soda sales in 2024, edging out Pepsi's 7.97 percent. Dr Pepper holds second place with 8.3 percent — all still far behind Coca-Cola, which dominates with a 19.1 percent share. Coke is still the undisputed king of the $97 billion US soda industry with more than double the market shares of any of its rivals at 19.18 percent. It's a remarkable fall. Back in the 1980s, Pepsi nearly toppled Coke during the height of the 'Cola Wars.' As recently as 20 years ago, Dr Pepper's and Sprite's sales were each less than half of Pepsi's. One in every nine sodas sold was a Pepsi. Dr Pepper was only the sixth most popular soda behind Sprite. The chart below, based on a report from Beverage Digest, shows how market share for Pepsi, Dr Pepper and Sprite has converged — with Dr Pepper now very slightly ahead. The change in fortunes comes after 140-year-old Dr Pepper increased its market share with advertising pushes, new flavors and a boost from TikTok trends. Sprite, created by Coca-Cola in 1961, has also gained ground thanks to heavy investment from its parent company to secure prime shelf space in stores Meanwhile, consumers have been shifting away from regular Pepsi in favor of low-sugar options and fresh competitors drinks like Poppi and Olipop. But Pepsi hasn't thrown in the towel. Bosses say the numbers — which cover market share through 2024 — don't fully capture its current momentum this year. 'We're focused on building the Pepsi brand, which includes options like Zero Sugar and flavor innovations like Wild Cherry,' a spokesperson said. They also point out that the Pepsi brand remains the overall No 2 soda — when taking into account the other versions, which also include Diet. Pepsi is spending millions to lure customers back. The company has revived the iconic Pepsi Challenge — a marketing campaign that helped close the gap with Coca-Cola in the 1980s. This time, pop-up taste tests across US cities pit Pepsi Zero Sugar against Coke Zero Sugar in blind trials. Pepsi has launched a nationwide marketing campaign similar to its 1980s program that almost knocked Coca-Cola off its dominant mantle So far, Pepsi says the campaign is working. It reports a sales edge over sugar-free rivals and 8 percent year-over-year growth for its Wild Cherry flavor. But soda makers face growing policy headwinds that could squeeze profits. Arkansas and Indiana have introduced rules that would ban shoppers from using SNAP benefits to buy soda — a move officials say promotes public health. Industry groups pushed back, calling the proposals unfair. Representatives for American Beverage accused state and federal officials of 'choosing to be the food police rather than take truly meaningful steps to lift people off SNAP with good-paying jobs.' The financial impact could be significant. In 2016, SNAP recipients spent $3.7 billion on soda. Meanwhile, the companies are not immune from President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs. PepsiCo, which has sent some manufacturing capacity to Ireland, has products that are subject to the President's 10 percent import tax. Meanwhile, the soda companies are sifting through the policy ramifications of 25 percent aluminum tariffs. The metal is a common material used for canning their products.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kent County woman plans on buying home with $1M scratch-off win
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A woman in Kent County is planning on buying a home after winning the lottery. The woman, who chose to remain anonymous, one $1 million from a scratch-off ticket, the Michigan Lottery said in a release. 'The store didn't have the game I wanted to buy, so I decided to try my luck on the Wild Cherry game,' she said in the release. She said when she first scanned the ticket and got a message to file a claim, she thought she'd won $10,000. 'I gave the ticket back to the clerk and had her check it. She helped me scratch the rest of it off, and when she saw I had hit $1 million, she screamed: 'She just won $1 million!'' she said. The winner opted for a one-time lump sum payment, which comes out to about $693,000, instead of annuity payments for the full $1 million. She's said she's going to use her winnings to buy a home, and will save the rest. The odds of winning the lottery are slim. For example, there's a 1 in 302.6 million chance of winning the Mega Millions jackpot and a 1 in 292.2 million chance of winning the Powerball. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the 24/7 National Problem Gambling Helpline at or text 800GAM. For more information, go to Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kent County woman wins $1 million on Michigan Lottery instant ticket
Sometimes it pays off when you're forced to try something new. A Kent County woman recently had to play a different Michigan Lottery game when her first choice wasn't available at a store — and then won $1 million. The woman, who chose to remain anonymous, won a top prize on a Wild Cherry instant game, according to the Michigan Lottery. She purchased the ticket at Circle K 6207 located at 514 Michigan St. NE in Grand Rapids. 'The store didn't have the game I wanted to buy, so I decided to try my luck on the Wild Cherry game,' the woman told the Michigan Lottery. 'I scratched the bar code and scanned the ticket. When I read the message that I needed to file a claim I thought I had won $10,000. 'I gave the ticket back to the clerk and had her check it. She helped me scratch the rest of it off, and when she saw I had hit $1 million, she screamed: 'She just won $1 million!'' The woman recently claimed her prize and opted to receive a one-time lump sum payment of about $693,000 instead of annuity payments for the full amount. More: Where the biggest Michigan Lottery prizes in February were sold She plans to use the money to buy a new home and save the rest. Wild Cherry tickets cost $10 each. The game started with three top prizes worth $1,000,000. One of the $1 million prizes remains unclaimed. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kent County woman wins $1 million on Michigan Lottery instant ticket
CBS News
14-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Michigan woman plans to buy new home after winning $1 million on scratch-off lottery ticket
A Kent County woman plans to buy a new home after winning $1 million playing the Michigan Lottery's Wild Cherry instant game. "The store didn't have the game I wanted to buy, so I decided to try my luck on the Wild Cherry game," said the woman, who wishes to remain anonymous. "I scratched the bar code and scanned the ticket. When I read the message that I needed to file a claim, I thought I had won $10,000. "I gave the ticket back to the clerk and had her check it. She helped me scratch the rest of it off, and when she saw I had hit $1 million, she screamed, 'She just won $1 million!'" The player elected to receive her prize as a one-time lump sum payment of about $693,000. After purchasing a new home, she plans to save the rest of her winnings. According to the Michigan Lottery, players have won more than $25 million playing the Wild Cherry instant game since it first launched in September 2024. Each $10 ticket allows players the chance to win prizes ranging from $10 up to $1 million. More than $27 million in prizes remain up for grabs, including one $1 million top prize and 14 $10,000 prizes.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC Apologizes For 'Missed Opportunities' To Tackle DJ Tim Westwood Over 'Bullying & Misogynistic' Behavior
The BBC has apologized for missing chances to take action against Tim Westwood after an external review concluded that the former presenter's conduct was 'entirely incompatible with BBC values.' The UK broadcaster's board today released an independent report, overseen by Gemma White KC, into how the BBC managed complaints about Westwood during the time he worked as a Radio 1 and 1Xtra DJ between 1994 and 2013. Westwood strongly denies all allegations against him. More from Deadline BBC Documentaries Boss: "Audiences Trust The Man In The Street More Than They Trust Institutions" - MIP London Nicôle Lecky Says BBC Thriller 'Wild Cherry' Shows A Whole New Side To Wealth In Britain Today BBC Removes Gaza Film From iPlayer Amid Growing Concerns About Contributors' Links To Hamas While it noted there was no 'widespread or significant BBC knowledge of the allegations or concerns,' it admitted that alleged incidents were 'treated in isolation rather than being brought together' and therefore missed a 'pattern of behavior that it could have acted on.' 'Beyond assessing any alleged criminality, which is a matter for the police, it is clear there were times where the BBC, on learning about concerns regarding Mr Westwood's behaviour, did not take adequate action,' added The BBC Board in a statement. 'There is evidence of bullying and misogynistic behaviour on the part of Mr Westwood and the plain fact is that his general conduct was entirely incompatible with BBC values – not just now, but then. The organisation fell short and failed people – including our own staff – who had a right to expect better from us.' White's report concluded that allegations about Westwood's conduct were a factor in his contract not being renewed in 2013. BBC radio bosses at the time acknowledged that he created a 'toxic' culture among colleagues. White, the barrister engaged to investigate the BBC's response to the Westwood allegations, noted that the DJ often made sexualized remarks on his shows, similar to Russell Brand, another former BBC DJ who has been accused of sexual misconduct. 'One of the most frequent concerns raised with me was about Tim Westwood's on-air references to people's bodies, and in particular women's breasts, often by euphemism,' she said. The report's review team had 'listened to a selection of 1Xtra drivetime shows, within which there are multiple examples of Tim Westwood speaking about the bodies of people in the studio with him and referring to their breasts using words such as 'rack', 'stack' and 'those two things under your blouse'.' However, she noted that Westwood's BBC colleagues had not made allegations of 'inappropriate sexual contact' and that his language had not been considered a 'sexual advance.' The report's conclusion includes a 'number of observations about the inadequacies of BBC policies and practices at the time, such as not having a system in place for considering all the relevant issues and concerns alongside each other.' The review, which cost £3.3M ($4.1M), did not point blame at BBC director-general Tim Davie. Davie was responsible for the BBC's radio output between 2008 and 2012, but White concluded that he had 'very limited involvement with Tim Westwood or with issues relating to him.' Davie was aware of at least one audience complaint about Westwood in April 2010, during which a listener raised concerns about Westwood discussing 'red velvet cake' as a reference to a sexual act. Westwood was given a warning at the time that the strong sexual innuendo was 'unacceptable,' but Davie was not said to be in favor of giving him a final warning. The board has now asked the BBC's executive team to respond and set out how policies and practices have changed in the 12 years since Westwood left the BBC and what further action could be taken. It also asked for a separate ongoing workplace culture review, from consultancy Change Associates, to consider White's report, noting: 'Abuse of power is an area where the Board continues to have concerns and where everyone in a leadership position at the BBC must continually strive to do better.' It added: 'The board also wants to take this opportunity to apologise on behalf of the entire BBC to anyone impacted by what the review has found. Your voice has been heard, and the findings of the review will further fuel the drive to ensure it does not happen again.' The review came after BBC News and the Guardian published allegations about Westwood's behavior during his time working for the BBC between 1994 and 2013, and was delivered to police before its publication to ensure it does not prejudice the investigation. The report was first commissioned in 2022 and was expected to take six months to complete, but was delayed several times as new allegations came to light. White noted she had presented extracts from her draft report to Westwood and his legal team. Westwood's solicitors made it clear to White that he denies the allegations of criminal and other misconduct and 'confirms that he has never had any sexual interest in children under the age of 16.' His solicitors stated that he never acted in a 'predatory and/or sexual manner' and 'did not (and does not) present any risk to young women, at the BBC nor elsewhere.' Best of Deadline 'Severance' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Land On Apple TV+? All The Songs In 'Severance' Season 2: From The Who To Ella Fitzgerald 'Severance' Cast Through Seasons 1 & 2: Innies, Outies, Severed And Unsevered
