• Ad Age, Monday, June 9, 2008 10:30 AM

McDonald's is testing the sale of bottled and canned drinks in about 150 locations. So far, a variety of colas, teas, energy drinks and waters -- including Red Bull and Coca-Cola's Vitaminwater -- are being tested, along with some beverages from PepsiCo.

McDonald's declines to provide a full list of brands involved in the test and says a final lineup has not been determined. The idea is to offer more options to consumers who are going elsewhere for their beverage fixes. Options vary by location, and it might take years for the plan to finally be realized.

The company realized several years ago that it wasn't meeting consumers' needs regarding beverages, according to Larry Light, founder of Arcature and former global chief marketer of McDonald's. "We were seeing [customers] buy food at McDonald's and then go buy their beverages at 7-Eleven," he says.

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