Last Updated on December 31, 2022 by Shari Mason

If you’re an avid fan of Diet Dr Pepper, you might probably notice how hard it is to find it in grocery stores.

Speculations are popping around about why there is no Diet Dr Pepper in stores.

Some people believe that the product was discontinued. But some blame the distribution during the pandemic season.

Keep reading to uncover the real reasons behind the absence of Diet Dr Pepper in shops.

Real Reason Behind No 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.

Keurig Dr Pepper, the brand’s parent company, confirms that they are working on supply issues with their allocations nationwide. 

Was There a Shortage in Aluminum Cans? 

Yes, 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.

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 

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, which commemorates 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.

FAQs 

Is there a Diet Dr Pepper shortage in 2022?

No, Diet Dr Pepper doesn’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. [1] 

Is Diet Dr Pepper healthier than regular Dr Pepper?

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.

What’s the difference between diet Dr Pepper and Dr Pepper Zero?

Sweetener ingredients made the difference between Diet Dr Pepper and Dr Pepper Zero Sugars. Diet Dr Pepper is sweetened with the artificial sweetener, aspartame.

On the other hand, Dr Pepper Zero Sugar adds acesulfame potassium to aspartame, which makes it syrupy. [2]

Summary

Dr Pepper is one of the oldest soft drinks but is undeniably delicious. Its unique, bold flavor is why people keep loving it.

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.

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:

1. https://www.delish.com/food-news/a33584775/dr-pepper-shortage/ 
2. https://finance.yahoo.com/finance/news/not-drill-dr-pepper-just-170900833.html