Coca-Cola Builds on Away-From-Home Recovery: How Durable Is It?

The Coca-Cola Company KO business has long been tied to the rhythms of consumer mobility, and the continued rebound in away-from-home consumption has become a critical driver of its growth story. From restaurants and quick-service outlets to entertainment venues and travel hubs, these channels are showing resilience after years of disruption. In the company’s second-quarter 2025 results, management highlighted renewed traction with foodservice customers and new accounts such as Costco and Carnival, underscoring the importance of Coca-Cola’s ability to win in these high-visibility, high-traffic environments.

While overall U.S. consumer spending has held up, lower-income segments remain under pressure, shaping demand in away-from-home channels. Coca-Cola has responded with affordability-driven initiatives, such as refillable packaging and targeted promotions, alongside premium single-serve offerings that capture higher-value occasions. This balance reflects the company’s “all-weather” strategy, which emphasizes agility in adjusting to consumer behavior shifts, whether they lean toward value-seeking or indulgence. Coca-Cola’s renewed brand campaigns, like Share a Coke and Bring the Juice, are also designed to keep its beverages visible and relevant in social and dining occasions where competition for consumer attention is intense.

The question, then, is one of durability. Can Coca-Cola sustain this momentum as macroeconomic pressures, geopolitical disruptions and shifting consumer habits continue to reshape global markets? For now, the company’s diversified portfolio, strengthened bottling partnerships and disciplined revenue growth management suggest resilience. Yet, durability will hinge on Coca-Cola’s ability to continue balancing affordability with premiumization, scaling its digital and experiential marketing, and adapting quickly when consumer patterns shift. The away-from-home channel is rebounding strongly, but its long-term steadiness will depend on how effectively Coca-Cola sustains relevance across both everyday and special consumption moments.

KO’s Rivals: How PepsiCo & KDP Stack Up

In a fiercely competitive beverage market, PepsiCo Inc. PEP and Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. KDP are sharpening their strategies to capture growth across both at-home and away-from-home consumption channels.

PepsiCo has been focused on the strength of its diversified beverage portfolio, including Gatorade, Pepsi Zero Sugar and bubly sparkling water, to sharpen its presence in away-from-home channels. The company has expanded partnerships with quick-service restaurants and invested heavily in packaging innovation to meet shifting consumption habits. PepsiCo continues to emphasize functional hydration and health-forward options, giving it a competitive edge with younger, wellness-oriented consumers. As foodservice and entertainment channels rebound, PEP is leveraging its brand depth and marketing muscle to capture incremental share and reinforce its standing as Coca-Cola’s primary rival.

Keurig Dr Pepper approaches the competitive landscape with a differentiated model, combining strong in-home platforms with a growing presence in away-from-home consumption. Its Dr Pepper franchise has been a standout growth engine, particularly among younger consumers, while its expanding premium coffee and flavored water offerings allow it to serve multiple occasions. The company’s partnerships with fast-food chains and retailers give it valuable distribution leverage, and its strength in single-serve coffee systems offers a unique cross-channel advantage. As away-from-home demand strengthens, KDP is well-positioned to capitalize by blending its at-home dominance with renewed out-of-home visibility, ensuring it stays competitive against larger peers.

The Zacks Rundown for Coca-Cola

KO’s shares have risen 7.7% year to date compared with the industry’s growth of 2.1%.

From a valuation standpoint, Coca-Cola trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 21.29X, significantly higher than the industry’s 17.55X.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for KO’s 2025 and 2026 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 3.1% and 8.3%, respectively. Earnings estimates for 2025 and 2026 have been unchanged in the past seven days.

Coca-Cola currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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