CSP’s Cold Vault Forum kicked off Monday in Lombard, Illinois, with Sally Lyons Wyatt, publisher at Chicago-based Circana.
Wyatt, talking about beverage trends reshaping the cold vault, looked at where beverage performance landed in the back half of 2025 and what early signals from first-quarter 2026 reveal for both the alcohol and non-alcohol space.
In the $497 billion total beverage market, retail is $299 billion with e-commerce and value channels winning, Wyatt said. Sharp declines were primarily driven by beer and wine but also carbonated soft drinks and water in 2025.
“Fuel decline overshadowed c-store bright spots in 2025,” Wyatt said, adding that in 2025, fewer trips and higher spend were drivers.
However, 2026’s first quarter signaled a c-store recovery, except at the pump, she said, and convenience beverages continued to post year-over-year quarterly gains with positive performance in this period across all channels.
In addition to Wyatt, other expert speakers are at the forum, which runs through Wednesday at the Westin Chicago Lombard. Retailers and suppliers also are attending.
The forum brings together convenience-store operators, category managers and other industry professionals to examine ways to boost performance in cold beverage sections.
The event will focus on products including carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, ready-to-drink coffee and tea, enhanced water and juices, as well as strategies and emerging trends shaping the category.
Other speakers at the event include:
- Nik Modi, RBC Capitals, Toronto. His presentation, Addressing The Questions That Matter, will unpack consumer spending patterns, hot spots in the cold vault, emerging pockets of growth and lessons from K-Pop beauty that the beverage industry can learn from.
- Dave Williams, president of Bump Williams Consulting, Shelton, Connecticut. His presentation, 5 Keys to Maximizing Your Alcohol Portfolio, will share best-in-class portfolio practices to grow your alcohol sales.
- Colin Dornish, managing member, CSD Solutions, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His presentation, Every Inch must Earn!, will explore how to use data and technology to maximize profit.
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