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Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production, distribution, and marketing of nonalcoholic beverages, mainly products of The Coca-Cola Company. They continue to expand their beverage portfolio, as well as packaging options and sizes, in order to meet consumers' evolving needs and preferences. They currently offer more than 2,600 beverage products around the world which include carbonated soft drinks, bottled water, teas, juices, sports drinks, and energy products. The company holds bottle contracts and allied bottle contracts under which, it produces and markets carbonated nonalcoholic beverage products of The Coca-Cola Company. Coca-Cola Bottling Co. also distributes and markets noncarbonated beverages under noncarbonated beverage contracts. It distributes its soft drink products through retail stores and other outlets, including food markets, institutional accounts, and vending machine outlets. Although the current economy is experiencing a recession, it has a smaller impact on the beverage industry than the increasing changes in consumer preferences which I will discuss later.
Much of the history of economic policy in the U.S. since the 1930's has involved a continuing effort by the government to find a mix of fiscal and monetary policies that will allow sustained growth and stable prices, and until recently, the government was getting better over the years. From 1854-1919, the American economy spent almost as much time contracting as it did growing; the average economic expansion lasted 27 months and average recession 22 months. From 1919-1945, there was a notable improvement, expansion now lasting an average of 35 months and recession 18 months. And from 1945-2000 things continued to improve, expansion lasting about 50 months and recession just 11 months, that is until the collapse of the housing market. Suddenly, it seemed like nobody could sell real estate. This put many real...