The coronavirus pandemic has led to a shortage of many items and Dr Pepper feels your pain.
After the initial run on paper towels, toilet paper and hand sanitizer, we learned that soft drinks were becoming a rare commodity during the pandemic. Attributed to both a disruption in the supply chain that brings artificial sweetener to the factory and an aluminum shortage, many Americans were - and apparently still are - having a hard time finding their favorite beverage.
Dr Pepper wants you to know they're "working on it."
In a tweet Monday, the brand said they're working with distribution partners to keep their soda on the shelf, while keeping their employees safe. Dr Pepper said the limitations are affecting all flavors of the beverage, including the new Dr Pepper & Cream Soda drink.
Last month, retailers told CBS8 in San Diego certain sodas had disappeared altogether, including Tab, Diet Rite and Cherry Coke Zero.
How about a Fresca?
They were vanishing, too, along with Vanilla Coke and Caffeine-Free Diet Coke, according to messages to Coca-Cola's Twitter page. At the time, Coca-Cola said they were seeing a shortage in products that were consumed in the home. That led the company to institute contingency plans to get their beverages to stores.
All of that played into the shortage of aluminum cans, along with the increased popularity of hard seltzers and soft drink and sparkling water companies moving away from single-use plastics for their containers, according to the Ball Corporation.
A Ball spokesperson told 11 Alive in July that the company was adding manufacturing lines and building two new plants, which are expected to be in operation by the end of next year.
