There’s a Shortage of This Hugely Popular Soda

Since the beginning of the pandemic, all sorts of grocery items like toilet paper, beef, and even Clorox disinfectant wipes have, at times, been difficult to find. There's been no shortage of reports focused on products in short supply. Now it's time to add another item to that list: There is a shortage of Dr Pepper, and fans are kind of freaking out.

Dr Pepper confirmed the shortage via a tweet posted on August 10, noting that all flavors of the beloved soda are currently harder to find:

We know it's harder to find Dr Pepper these days. We're working on it – hang tight!

Note: This applies to all flavors of Dr Pepper – including our newest permanent addition to the family, Dr Pepper & Cream Soda. pic.twitter.com/Kf0UedMuiw

— Dr Pepper (@drpepper) August 10, 2020

What is behind the dearth of Dr Pepper? According to its parent company, the shortage is purely a result of increased demand. Sales have "increased consistently over the last four years," the company said in a statement to CNN. "Rest assured we're working with our local distribution partners experiencing low inventory levels in certain markets to meet this increased demand, and we encourage every loyal Dr Pepper fan to continue checking their local retailer for their favorite varieties," the company said.

While the beverage maker is casting their supply problems in the most charitable light, there are other shortages that may also be in play. Early in the pandemic, there was an issue of carbonation that threatened supplies of all sorts of fizzy drinks. And a sharp demand in aluminum cans might also be behind supply issues, as the pandemic has led shoppers to buy a surplus of canned sodas.

"Beverages in convenient take-home packages like aluminum cans are particularly popular right now, and beverage company employees are doing all they can to make sure store shelves remain fully stocked," the American Beverage Association said in a statement to CNN. Dr Pepper did not respond to CNN's question about the aluminum shortage, however.

It's not just Dr Pepper that is dealing with supply issues. Other soda brands are having similar problems. Coca-Cola recently confirmed supply problems regarding their Cherry Vanilla Coke Zero product, "Due to extreme demand on certain products we are temporarily putting our focus on producing more of those beverages."

It is worth noting, however, that drinking a lot of soda isn't necessarily part of a healthy diet. So while this shortage might present an inconvenience to many, it may also be good for some people's health.

For more, check out the 108 Most Popular Sodas Ranked by How Toxic They Are.