If I had to make a list of vices, Pepsi Zero Sugar would be high on the list. I absolutely love it. Coke Zero sugar is also really great.
Here is the thing. My understanding, at least in the US, is that they have stopped production temporarily during the Covid-19 crisis. It is not available in my grocery stores. They had just introduced Mountain Dew Zero and Baja Blast Zero and both of those were excellent as well. Both also not on the shelves.
I am specifically focused on the 12 or 24 packs of cans. I actually did see some 2-liters the other day, but I only buy 2-liters for parties.
No shortage whatsoever. You may be conflating a couple of related stories, though.
The first is that the Coca Cola corporation recently announced that they’d be shutting down a number of unprofitable brands, mainly international ones that we’ve never heard of.
The second is that there’s an aluminum can shortage looming, driven in part by beer production shifting from kegs to cans.
I mentioned in the “Food Shortages That Don’t Make Sense” thread over in the Quarantine Zone that I haven’t seen Vanilla Coke Zero for some time. I thought I saw regular Coke Zero reappear briefly awhile back, but as a general rule the Coke aisle has been 75-90% Coke/Diet Coke for a couple of months now.
The explanation seems to be that due to ingredient shortages and/or transportation issues, they are focusing on their core products.
They were, haven’t looked recently, but those things tend to hang around on the shelves around here.
That could happen, but briefly, a huge percentage of aluminum cans are recycled so once the can production ramps up it should not be a problem, it’s just another supply line change that takes a little time to work out.
It would have been a suitable word choice a little while ago, and soon you can say the end of crises is looming. Maybe we’ll see a bounty on aluminum cans like the banks are doing to get more coins, maybe soon you can get a mail truck and pull the Michigan scam locally.
Normal supply of Coke Zero here in So FL. The other day at my local WD grocery there was a special display of CZ in the traditional giant Pyramid-o-12-paks by the front door. It was big enough that even I noticed it & I don’t buy soda. So evidently no shortage of CZ.
Coke Zero is in short supply; Cherry Coke Zero is in no supply (that’s mah drank).
I also can’t get Mountain Dew Zero.
In general, you can find Coke and Diet Coke on the shelves 5 out of 7 days. Pepsi was doing a bit better but in the last two weeks it seems like they have also been having problems.
The aluminum can shortage is hitting Las Vegas very hard.
Just bought a heaping supply of Coke Zero at Costco the other day. There seemed to be a shortage about a month ago, but it seems to have worked itself out.
I’m pretty sure the mix of products in any given area is a function of the local bottling company and not Coke Central (as long as Coke Central keeps supplying the syrup). Relative availability of various products has always been subject to wide local variations.
That’s what I heard; that the manufacturers are focusing on the core products. But I think Coke Zero is a core product, though not as core as regular Coke. I would not be surprised if they are cutting back on some of the obscure variations, like vanilla orange diet Coke, or whatever. In my supermarket, there are stacks of Coke, Diet Coke and Coke Zero, and judging by the number of cartons, Coke is most popular, followed by Diet Coke and then Coke Zero.
In Mesa, AZ, the shelves seem to empty faster of Zero than diet or regular leaded Coke. Don’t know if that is because there is a shortage or it is just getting more popular.
I buy 3 or 4 12-packs of Coke Zero about once a month or so. I drink one can every morning for breakfast in lieu of coffee (cuz I hate coffee).
Since March I’ve not been able to find the cases of regular Coke Zero twice now, but other times (maybe 3 other times?) it’s been in abundance. I did see plenty of Coke Zero Cherry and Vanilla.
So, something’s fishy with the supply, but from what we’re all reporting it’s not widespread or predictable!
I’ve definitely noticed a shortage here (East Central Indiana), first of Cherry Coke Zero, then of regular Coke Zero. I’ve had to buy Diet Coke for about the past three weeks, which does not taste as good.
I usually get Coke Zero at Costco. We have two local stores, and I might alternate between them. They had it the last visit, maybe 2 weeks ago. 2+ weeks before that they did not, but I can’t speak whether that was due to a shortage or that particular store had supply issues.