Last Updated on September 14, 2024 by Shari Mason
The store’s shelves suddenly missing **Diet Dr Pepper** has everyone curious and asking questions.
Through my own firsthand experiences and insider knowledge, join me as we unveil why is there no Diet Dr Pepper in stores, explore the theories, and seek answers.
Let’s uncover the reasons and unravel the tale of this hard-to-find soda.
Real Reason Behind No Diet Dr Pepper In Stores
Based on our research, Keurig Dr. Pepper, the brand’s parent company, confirms that they are working on supply issues with their allocations nationwide because there is a shortage of Diet Dr Pepper in stores.
Many fans of Diet Dr Pepper have been speculating about the scarcity of these diet sodas in groceries nationwide.
The fans believe Dr Pepper canceled its diet version after the Dr Pepper zero sugars variant debuted last 2021.
Another assumption is that the coronavirus period caused the diet soda shortage. People hoard and stack up food and drinks during the pandemic, which can partially increase the demand for soda.
Also, it affects labor shortage and inflation since people and commodities are restricted due to lockdowns.
Was There a Shortage in Aluminum Cans?
Yes, based on our research, there was a shortage of aluminum cans during the pandemic’s peak. The increasingly high demand for market-in-can products has been continuously rising, which caused a high demand for metals.
Many people fear potential lockdowns because of the pandemic. So, shortages lead not only to aluminum but most found commodities like canned food, toilet paper, containers, and even a cup shortage.
I can’t do coffee, but I can do Dr. Pepper.“
Cher, Singer
I learned that the production and supply of items, including aluminum cans, had been constrained. Throughout the pandemic, the shortage partially caused price increases.
So many beverage industries, like Dr Pepper, struggled to sustain and produce extra-canned beverages. Find out if Restaurant Depot accepts EBT here.
High Demand For Diet Dr Pepper In Stores
I discovered that Diet Dr Pepper is one of the leading brands of regular carbonated soft drinks in the United States, along with Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people store in-cans and multi-pack products they can consume at home.
In-cans are lightweight and more convenient than glass alternatives, making them a top choice for consumers.
This high demand for Diet Dr Pepper has increased its sales. For 2021, Dr Pepper increased a 9.2% to $12.68 billion, compared to their 2020 $11.62 billion net sale.
Read: How Do You Drink Something Without Tasting It?
Dr Pepper Available Flavors
Dr Pepper has 23 flavors: amaretto, cola, cherry, caramel, coriander juniper, birch, pepper, anise, sarsaparilla, ginger, licorice, vanilla, blackberry, apricot, blackberry, molasses, lemon, plum, orange, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, and prickly ash.
This gives a more alluring flavor to all kinds of Dr Pepper, which includes their regular soda signature Dr Pepper and diet versions.
Also, it has cherry variants such as Cherry Dr Pepper, Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper, and its Diet Cherry Dr Pepper. Dr Pepper also offers caffeine-free variants and real sugar beverages commemorating its 125th anniversary in 2010.
They pitched their Dr Pepper Cream Soda variant last 2020, which also comes in diet form. In 2021, they launched the zero sugar variants (the original, Zero Sugar Dr Pepper Cherry, and Zero Sugar Dr Pepper Cream Soda).
Is Diet Dr Pepper Discontinued?
No, Diet Dr Pepper is not discontinued. The absence of Diet Dr Pepper on store shelves is partially due to the increased demand for diet sodas.
Some assumptions arose that it would replace the company’s current diet offering after launching Zero Sugar in 2021.
Dr Pepper’s spokesperson disclaimed this speculation. Diet Dr Pepper has not been discontinued and will remain available in stores and online.
Also, the Dr Pepper Cherry Vanilla Diet variant was discontinued, not the diet version. It was halted last July 2012 but returned in 2018 in limited Southern markets.
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How Much Caffeine Does It Contain?
Diet Dr Pepper contains about 41mg of caffeine in a 12oz in-can, the same as the original Dr Pepper flavor.
It has more caffeine than other diet sodas like Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi. But coffee is a much stronger caffeine source than Dr Pepper, with around 90mg in an 8oz cup.
However, Dr Pepper offers no caffeine variants, which compete with caffeine-free Diet Coke products.
Who Owns Dr Pepper?
The Keurig Green Mountain company currently owns Dr Pepper Snapple Group. But Dr Pepper Snapple Group owned Dr Pepper originally.
Keurig Green Mountain purchased Dr Pepper in July 2018. This company is formerly known as Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.
It’s an American coffee company that manufactures brewing systems and sells coffee beans and ground coffee in bags.
After acquiring Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Keurig Green Mountain changed its name to Keurig Dr Pepper.
Strategies to Combat Diet Dr Pepper Shortage
I learned that the company made some strategies to combat the Diet Dr. Pepper shortage, hoping to keep up with the demand.
The company worked to ramp up production at its existing facilities and build new facilities to meet the demand.
As they work on increased production, they start prioritizing shipments to areas with the highest demand or major retailers selling large volumes of the product.
FAQs
u003cstrongu003eIs there a Diet Dr Pepper shortage in 2022?u003c/strongu003e
No, Diet Dr Pepper didn’t have a shortage in 2022. But during the pandemic in 2020, they admitted the availability issue of their products. Since then, they have been working to fix shortages of Diet Dr Pepper and other flavors. [u003ca href=u0022https://www.delish.com/food-news/a33584775/dr-pepper-shortage/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003e1u003c/au003e]
u003cstrongu003eIs Diet Dr Pepper healthier than regular Dr Pepper?u003c/strongu003e
Yes, Diet Dr Pepper is healthier than regular Dr Pepper in terms of calorie count. Diet Dr Pepper has no calories, while 150 calories are in regular Dr Pepper. However, both have zero nutritional value, containing artificial coloring and artificial sweeteners.
u003cstrongu003eWhat’s the difference between diet Dr Pepper and Dr Pepper Zero?u003c/strongu003e
Sweetener ingredients made the difference between Diet Dr Pepper and Dr Pepper Zero Sugars. Diet Dr Pepper is sweetened with the artificial sweetener, aspartame.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eOn the other hand, Dr Pepper Zero Sugar adds acesulfame potassium to aspartame, which makes it syrupy. [u003ca href=u0022https://finance.yahoo.com/finance/news/not-drill-dr-pepper-just-170900833.htmlu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003e2u003c/au003e]
Summary
There is no Diet Dr. Pepper in stores because of the rise of demand. The shortage of Diet Dr Pepper in grocery stores has been unanticipated. The increased demand for this popular soda resulted in some supply issues.
Production and supply have been widely affected due to the pandemic but Dr Pepper has been striving to work out with its distribution partners by keeping shelves stocked nationwide.
The longing for that familiar taste and the desire to enjoy this beloved beverage continues to grow. I remain hopeful that the shelves will soon be replenished, satisfying our cravings and bringing back the joy of sipping on a cold, refreshing Diet Dr Pepper.
If you still can’t find Dr Pepper, you can try other soft drink options like Coca-Cola Zero Sugar or caffeine-free Coca-Cola.
References:
- https://www.delish.com/food-news/a33584775/dr-pepper-shortage/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/finance/news/not-drill-dr-pepper-just-170900833.html
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I’m diabetic and can’t drink the regular Dr pepper.
Please fix whatever is the problem with the 2 lt diet Dr pepper not being on the shelves. This is a big thing for me as I don’t really desire any other flavor diet soda. Please don’t just kick us to the curb on this. Diet Dr pepper drinkers metter☹
Give me back my regular DIET DR PEPPER. Anything else is an absolute INSULT!!! And lower that price. No 2 liter should be $2.50-$2.75. You made a fortune this past year. Share some of riches with us regular folks. I been drinking dr pepper for at least 60+ years! C Williams in North Carolina.
Diet caffeine-free Dr Pepper and Caffeine-free Dr Pepper will have been missing from store shelves & online for almost 3 years. While Coke, Pepsi, Jones Soda, etc companies have had their caffeine-free & diet caffeine-free pops back on store shelves since late 2020/early 2021 on a regular to semi regular basis & also available online too. But Dr Pepper Company doesn’t care about a big chunk of their customers. They have blamed the aluminum shortage, ingredients hard to get, high demand, stores, their distributors, their bottlers, etc for why the caffeine-free n diet caffeine-free products are still not on shelves. Yet there is enough aluminum & ingredients available the last 3 yrs til now to make & get on shelves new flavors of dr peppers & limited time ones too. They say they still make caffeine-free and diet caffeine-free dr pepper and that they haven’t discontinued them. But yet no news of when they will be back n real reason for them being gone for so long. When you email them you get excuses and if you post on their social media if they reply its the automated dm/send us a msg with your zip code n will tell nearest location to you that has it. But what they tell you n where they look to see is same places we customers look & places they mention have inaccurate information & don’t have any product and haven’t for a long time. They say its a problem on dr peppers end.
I have been drinking Dr. Pepper in some form for most of my life and I’m really discouraged that I can no longer find my favorites. I now drink Cherry Dr. Pepper zero and in a pinch Diet Dr. Pepper to which I add grenadine. Those have both become close to impossible to find. In the last few days, I have been to 6 different stores in IL and IA with no luck at all. All they have is regular Dr. Pepper and even that is limited. So what are we to do?
There has been no Dr.Pepper cherry Zero in 2 liter bottles on the shelves in Indianola, Iowa since the first week in Dec. ’22. I hate it in cans. Been no reg. DP cherry to speak of either but I can’t drink it. What’s up?
I drink Dr. Pepper zero cherry. Have enjoyed for a few years even during the so called Pandemic. When you shop Dr Pepper is very scarce on the shelves. But Coke products are abundantly available. Dr. Pepper.your possum a lot of people off!
I have trouble getting regular Dr. pepper now as well as diet dp. They need to get the ball rolling.
When will Diet Dr. Pepper return to store shelves in Midland Ontario Canada?
I’m in Niagara Falls Canada. I haven’t drank any diet Dr Pepper in a couple of months. Every store has none. But plenty of Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi.
Yah, I saw it slowly disappear and now I see Dr. Pepper Zero and no Diet Dr. Pepper. This new Zero flavour taste like rat piss. Bring back Diet Dr. Pepper.
I can’t find Dr Pepper Zero sugar anymore. It has become my favorite soda. Has it been discontinued? Please respond. Thank you.
Weird, here in Madison and I just bought 3 6 pack bottles of Diet Dr Pepper on Wednesday ( May 10th) and they were even on sale. Didn’t even realize there was a shortage until I read this.