While cider sales have softened — partly because of competition from the emerging hard soda category — it remains the largest segment of the three with nearly $ 470 million in total category sales over the past year, according to Nielsen's data tracking off - premise (i.e. retail and grocery) channels. (fortune.com)
«I don't think we are going to see [hard seltzer] reach the size of hard soda, but we will see as new players enter, especially this year,» Danelle Kosmal, vice president of Nielsen's beverage alcohol division, told Fortune. (fortune.com)
Ciders, as well as hard sodas and seltzers, are a way for brewers to compete more aggressively with spirits makers, which have generally done a better job innovating around flavors and getting new consumers into their category. (fortune.com)