PepsiCo reached an agreement on Tuesday to buy the outstanding shares of its two main bottlers for $7.8 billion, sweetening its original offers and ending a three-month standoff.

With the agreements to take over the two bottlers, Pepsi Bottling Group and PepsiAmericas, PepsiCo will unwind a decade-old strategy of separating its bottling operations from its soft-drink business, one begun by the Coca-Cola Company.

PepsiCo says the move will allow it to respond more quickly to changes in demand, especially as consumers move away from carbonated beverages toward juices and water.

via NYTimes.com.