Dr Pepper Confirms Shortage, But What's Causing It?

Just when it seems like 2020 couldn't get any worse, it's become harder to find Dr Pepper on store shelves.

"We're doing everything we can to get it back into your hands," the soda brand said on Twitter.

Dr Pepper fans have been griping on social media about a potential soda shortage. While the company confirmed the bare store shelves, it didn't say what's causing the shortage.

Snopes and USA Today fact checked claims that the world is running out of Dr Pepper. It's highly unlikely that the 23 flavors that go into Dr Pepper are suddenly in limited supply. Rather, Dr Pepper is having to manage supply chain disruptions and other impacts the coronavirus has had on day-to-day business.

In an April letter, Robert Gamgort, CEO of Keurig Dr Pepper, wrote, "We continue to deliver for our customers and consumers, working hard around the clock to fulfill strong demand. We are finding innovative ways to quickly adapt to changes in shopping behaviors, with more than half of North America impacted by stay-at-home, shelter-in-place and closure of non-essential business orders."

Dr Pepper, along with other soda brands, is dealing with an increased demand for aluminum cans. Manufacturers can't produce cans fast enough.

"The can industry is working 24/7 on meeting the unprecedented demand," Robert Budway, president of the Can Manufacturers Institute, told USA Today.

Part of this is due to more people ditching plastic bottles in favor of aluminum cans because of environmental concerns.

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