NEW YORK: PepsiCo Inc for the first time is introducing a product exclusively through Amazon.com Inc as the snack and soft drink maker aims to expand its footprint in e-commerce.
The product, a naturally sweetened soda called Pepsi True, will be available on Amazon in mid-October in 24-packs of 7.5-ounce cans. It will not be in brick-and-mortar outlets, though Pepsi said it plans to eventually sell True in grocery stores. By introducing True through Amazon, Pepsi says it can better assess demand and gain insight into where people are buying it ahead of a wider launch.
Industry insiders said the move illustrates how the food and beverage industry is expanding into non-traditional distribution channels like e-commerce as it searches for growth. Kraft Foods Group Inc recently started selling Jell-O molds of university mascots and logos through Amazon and grocery stores. Coca-Cola Co said recently it would bring back Surge, a soda it discontinued 12 years ago, through Amazon. Reuters
