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by STEPHANIE STRAUBEL
Intern News Reporter
Appalachian State University recently finalized an exclusive agreement with Pepsi Bottling Ventures, LLC. The July 1 contract stipulates only beverages provided by the soft drink conglomerate may be distributed on campus, rendering Coca-Cola products unavailable for purchase at Appalachian.
The decision was reached after the university submitted a request for proposals from both beverage enterprises.
The proposals each
discussed what the companies could do promotionally in terms of
increasing sales at events, as well as what they would offer
Appalachian to procure exclusive rights. Cost was also considered, but
was not the deciding factor, Director of Food Services W. Ron Dubberly
said.
“It has been a very challenging process,” Dubberly said. “The decision was not taken lightly.”
Pepsi
and Appalachian entered the mutually beneficial contract for a
three-year period, for which Pepsi will pay $2,067,766.50 to obtain
sole rights to Appalachian’s soft drink market.
The
contract extends to carbonated beverages, isotonic beverages and energy
drinks. Gatorade, Rock Star, Mountain Dew Amp and Sobe: No Fear will be
vended on campus, while Powerade and Red Bull will be unavailable.
The
contract will not have repercussions in dining facilities, as the top
selling beverage is the Carolina Beverage Company’s Cheerwine.
The deal
directly applies to Food Services, the Athletics Department and the
Holmes Convocation Center, all of which were taken into strong
consideration.
Changes
will be more discernible in vending machines, the Hawksbill Gameroom,
Greenbriar Movie Theater and I.G. Greer Auditorium, Dubberly said.
Student,
faculty and staff reactions are major factors considered in the deal.
Dubberly expects outcries on campus, a repercussion he describes as
“not unusual,” and said over time, people will likely drink a Pepsi
“here and there” and realize they can “drink anything cold and wet.”
“I like
Coke and Pepsi,” freshman Spanish major Daniel W. Duncan said. “As long
as there’s caffeine keeping me going to class all day.”
Dubberly
said PepsiCo peddles 65 percent of the beverages sold in campus vending
machines, a statistic that insinuates an effective transition.
Pepsi beverages are currently sold in vending machines on campus, and former Coke distributers are being replaced.
AppCard readers will arrive in the coming weeks to render the machines fully accessible to students.
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