Mountain Dew Zero Sugar Joins List of Product Shortages in the U.S.
Mountain Dew Zero Sugar has joined the long list of products that are in short supply. Why is there a shortage of Mountain Dew Zero in the U.S.?
April 7 2022, Published 8:24 a.m. ET
Many Americans have dealt with product shortages over the last two years. The out-of-stock rate for CPG (consumer goods products) is running above historical averages. Mountain Dew Zero Sugar has joined the long list of products that are in short supply. Why is there a shortage of Mountain Dew Zero Sugar in the U.S.?
The demand for carbonated drinks was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the lockdowns, while the demand for in-home consumption spiked, outdoor consumption tumbled. As the economy started to reopen, outdoor consumption started to gain pace and in-home consumption took a breather.
PepsiCo makes Mountain Dew Zero Sugar.
Global beverage giant PepsiCo makes Mountain Dew Zero Sugar. The company has multiple flavors of the popular soft drink. Apart from the regular flavor, the company also offers low sugar options. Diet Mountain Dew has 10 calories per 20 ounces, while Mountain Dew Zero Sugar doesn't have any calories. It also has more caffeine than Diet Mountain Dew. PepsiCo also launched Mountain Dew Spark and Mountain Dew Spark Zero Sugar.
The diet and zero sugar flavors are popular among diet-conscious people considering the high calories in the regular flavors.
PepsiCo didn't talk about the Mountain Dew shortage in its recent earnings calls.
In the last two earnings calls, PepsiCo didn't talk about the Mountain Dew shortage. The company did talk about supply chain issues that the entire industry is facing. PepsiCo listed the sequential improvement in the Gatorade supply in the fourth quarter of 2021 but didn't mention Mountain Dew.
Beverages have been in short supply.
The Consumer Brands Association said that the out-of-stock rate for CPG products was 10 percent in January. While it's higher than average, it has come down from what we saw in the fourth quarter of 2021 when holiday shopping put a strain on the U.S. supply chain. However, the out-of-stock percentage for sports and energy drinks was 19 percent, while that of carbonated beverages was 13 percent, which is above normal.
There's a shortage of Mountain Dew Zero Sugar.
If you have faced troubles grabbing Mountain Dew Zero Sugar, you aren't alone and there's a shortage of the product. Looking at the store locator on the Mountain Dew website, most Walmart stores don’t have the flavor.
Kroger is also short on Mountain Dew Zero Sugar.
Several Kroger stores are also out-of-stock of Mountain Dew Zero Sugar. The company redirects consumers to alternative stores, which can be quite far off in some cases. It also warns of a supply chain issue with the product and has added a disclaimer “Due to high demand, variety is extremely limited from our suppliers.”
Mountain Dew Zero Sugar is available on Amazon.
Amazon has some availability of Mountain Dew Zero Sugar. However, its availability is limited and only a few are available for delivery. The reports of Mountain Dew Zero Sugar shortages aren't new. In 2020, the company clarified that it hasn’t discontinued the product, as many speculated. Instead, the company directed consumers to different stores.
Apart from a bump in demand, a shortage of aluminum cans could be compounding the availability of Mountain Dew Zero Sugar. We’ll likely get more updates on the availability when PepsiCo releases its earnings for the first quarter of 2022.