Coke or Pepsi?

Yes.

I also prefer noncola soda, but if I'm thirsty I'd drink whichever. My wife likes Pepsi better out of a fountain and coke better from a bottle. She's weird.

Always Pepsi, especially throwback Pepsi.

You will find that your Coke vs Pepsi results are very regional. In Atlanta, Coke HQ, it will certainly be Coke, but...Pepsi was founded in North Carolina where the OP's profile says he is located.

From the ages of 21 to 30 (now 47), I worked for Coca-Cola in Ohio. We were the #2 offering. You can try googling some results but there is a much easier way to get to the bottom of this, specific to any individual market.

In your local, full service grocery store, count the linear shelf space dedicated to soft drinks. It is not just willy-nilly decided how much space is dedicated to Coke, Pepsi, etc; this space is earned and paid for. The brand with the most space has typically earned it. Compare the space dedicated to the Pepsi full brand offerings to the Coke full brand offerings. 2 feet of difference is a big deal. 4 ft difference is significant. 8ft difference tremendous. This will clearly show you who is dominate in your marketplace. This variation in space is fought for and defended DAILY. In the stores that I was responsible for, I knew exactly how much space we were allotted and verified that correct allotment DAILY.

Now that you have found your market leader, which flavors to buy. Here the "Corporate Product Brand Flow" will give you the answer.
The Coca-Cola brands will start with Coca-Cola Classic and the Cola brands, then the Diet Cola brands, next the flavors and typically ending with Coke's Sprite brand.
Focus onto the 2L bottles. You may see that Coke has 8 facings of Coca-Cola Classic. 7 facings of Diet Coke and 3 facings of Sprite. All other flavors given just one facing (one bottles worth of shelf space.)
These amount of facing are also highly researched and are also dedicated by "Corporate Merchandising Standards." Use these percentages you see to determine how much of each flavor to buy. I would expect something like 45 percent cola, 40 percent diet cola and 5 percent Sprite. This is just a guess, the real answer is right there in front of you on the shelf.

I would keep it simple and only offer 3-4 flavors of soft drink and 1 water.
If Coke brands then Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite.
If Pepsi brands then Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mt Dew and one non-caffine offering like Orange or Sierra Mist but Pepsi's brand of Sierra Mist is far inferior to Sprite in sales numbers.

First, I've been on the forum for almost a decade and this is the first time I've ever seen this question. Surprises me, since we debate o much else. Second, I find Pepsi way too sweet. I love a cold Coca Cola Classic, but I probably drink less than 10 a year. I don't like drinking my calories unless they include alcohol.

We do drink lots of club soda and sparkling water. Always a nice option to have.

If I had to choose.. I would take a pepsi, but would never turn down a coke. recently I have been weaning myself off of soft drinks.. so water or tea for me please

In reply to JohnRW1621:

When I was a kid I would work on my Dad's 7up route. When most of the routes were owner operated and the store managers controlled the shelf space in their individual stores there was all kinds of dealing to get more shelf space and end displays.

As colas go I prefer Pepsi.

Real Coke, Coke Zero, and Diet Coke in that order.

Regular Pepsi is too sweet - it tastes the same as Diet Coke to me.

Diet Pepsi is undrinkable pig swill.

Coke. Always Coke or one of the Zero varieties. In fact, when Frisch's switched from Coke to Pepsi, I stopped going there. Pepsi just has a funny chemical taste.

logdog wrote: I drink Royal Crown because it makes me feel high falutin'

and it's just flat out better than both.

Soda Stream with 50% more syrup. I loved redbull cola (but not the price) when it was out

Way more Pepsi fans in here than I am comfortable with. Ever since I can remember I have not cared for the taste of Pepsi. Coke is delicious. Diet Coke is foul. RC Cola is delicious. Root Beer is soooo good!

Pepsi, but I'm shocked at the pro-Pepsi bias on this survey. Listen to Coke drinkers, and people who like Pepsi also enjoy eating kittens...

Coke Zero on account of my pancreas.

Dr. Pepper is the only soda that I drink. But not that often.

Diet Coke is the nectar of the gods for me. But Diet Pepsi is acceptable, too.

I have a friend who will not go to a restaurant that serves Pepsi products.

Seeing as this thread has evolved, the only time I like coke more than pepsi is when I have access to a free style machine.

clear pepsi was the best, but i'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with OP's question.

when in doubt, stock both. when someone wants coke, give them coke. when they want pepsi, give pepsi. when they don't care, give them whichever you have more of.

i used to not care. i was a cola addict. since i've cut back to drinking it with dinner one night a week i strongly prefer RC, and everything else tastes strange.

Whats wrong with fruit juice or water?

There is no upside to sodas unless you spill some liquor in it.

Without going into obscure specialty sodas(sarsaparilla)my top pick goes to Mr. Pibb when I can find it, but otherwise Dr. Pepper over any brand of cola.

JohnRW1621 wrote: You will find that your Coke vs Pepsi results are very regional. In Atlanta, Coke HQ, it will certainly be Coke, but...Pepsi was founded in North Carolina where the OP's profile says he is located. From the ages of 21 to 30 (now 47), I worked for Coca-Cola in Ohio. We were the #2 offering. You can try googling some results but there is a much easier way to get to the bottom of this, specific to any individual market. In your local, full service grocery store, count the linear shelf space dedicated to soft drinks. It is not just willy-nilly decided how much space is dedicated to Coke, Pepsi, etc; this space is earned and paid for. The brand with the most space has typically earned it. Compare the space dedicated to the Pepsi full brand offerings to the Coke full brand offerings. 2 feet of difference is a big deal. 4 ft difference is significant. 8ft difference tremendous. This will clearly show you who is dominate in your marketplace. This variation in space is fought for and defended DAILY. In the stores that I was responsible for, I knew exactly how much space we were allotted and verified that correct allotment DAILY. Now that you have found your market leader, which flavors to buy. Here the "Corporate Product Brand Flow" will give you the answer. The Coca-Cola brands will start with Coca-Cola Classic and the Cola brands, then the Diet Cola brands, next the flavors and typically ending with Coke's Sprite brand. Focus onto the 2L bottles. You may see that Coke has 8 facings of Coca-Cola Classic. 7 facings of Diet Coke and 3 facings of Sprite. All other flavors given just one facing (one bottles worth of shelf space.) These amount of facing are also highly researched and are also dedicated by "Corporate Merchandising Standards." Use these percentages you see to determine how much of each flavor to buy. I would expect something like 45 percent cola, 40 percent diet cola and 5 percent Sprite. This is just a guess, the real answer is right there in front of you on the shelf. I would keep it simple and only offer 3-4 flavors of soft drink and 1 water. If Coke brands then Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite. If Pepsi brands then Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mt Dew and one non-caffine offering like Orange or Sierra Mist but Pepsi's brand of Sierra Mist is far inferior to Sprite in sales numbers.

They can get all the space they want. It all comes down to RESTOCKING the stuff and both companies SUCK at that. Shelf is close to empty and all the backstock is sitting in the back room.....

Pepsi is not drinkable, comparing it to Coke is like comparing bud lite to a nice microbrew.

Talking of which I vote you sell beer, not some fattening sugar filled soda.

I prefer unsweetened ice tea over either colas. How about a nice root beer float.

In reply to Sine_Qua_Non:

Much of that problem is that to save money the companies have gone from a driver that was the salesman and stocked the shelves to a merchandiser that stocks a lot of stores in a larger area. It saves the company money but he's not going to put in the effort someone on commission does, and having a bigger area to cover can't visit each store as often. You see more and more bare shelves as companies switch over to that system.

My own experience.
In 1987, I was working in a grocery store making $4.65 per hour (min wage was more like $4.)
I found out that Coke hired college students for the summer at $8 (huge lift.)
The union was strong (teamsters.) There we strict limits on how many "seasonal workers" they could hire and how many months they could work us full time and then part time hours of weekends during the rest of the year.
Cut ahead 9 years later, I was the district manager over two counties in Ohio. The union had got weakened significantly (not a good thing) and I was hiring the same employees for $6.50 NINE YEARS LATER. As such, the level of employee we got was crap and turnover was huge when you consider the all physical nature of the work.
Though I was in management, it was not me making the rules or setting the wages. There was a whole parade of idiots above me calling the shots.

It was an interesting time though.
When I started it was returnable 8 pack glass bottles in wooden cases. By the time I left, everything was plastic or alum.
I missed the New Coke introduction but was around for the re-into of Classic.
I was there for the introduction of bottled water and the rise of Snapple type drinks. I was out before energy drinks hit the market.