Speaking at a conference in New York yesterday, Nooyi said that her firm has a “whole range of products … in the pipeline that are value-added products that can be snacks made into beverages,” quotes The Financial Times. Indra later pointed out an oatmeal-based drink in Brazil and the success of Pepsi’s Naked line of juices.
Nooyi did not specify any particular new items that are in development, but the company controls many snack brands such as Frito-Lay, Quaker Oats and the Cap’n Crunch line of cereals.
Nooyi is opposing the idea, floated by Wall Street analysts, that the company should split up its drink and snack businesses. Pepsi’s beverage business has consistently fallen behind its snack business in recent years. She says that the fact that PepsiCo has both food and beverage product lines strengthens the firm’s ability to understand consumers.
“A way to grow the beverage business is to take foods and drinkify them,” Nooyi told the conference.
