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Americans still love their soda, but maybe not as much as they used to. Soft drink consumption has been on a downward trend in recent years, dropping from more than 45 gallons per person per year in 2010 to less than 39 gallons in 2018, according to Statistical. Yet they remain one of most searched beverages in the United States, ranking only behind bottled water.
From vending machines to convenience stores, you can find all the major brands, from Coca-Cola and Pepsi to Dr. Pepper and Sprite. But it’s the supermarket where you find the most variety, often including house brand soft drinks that can rival the best of them.
If you’ve ever wanted to try a new brand or flavor of soda and wondered where to shop, these grocery chains might be a good place to start.
Southeast regional grocery chain Winn-Dixie offers one of the widest assortments of soft drink flavors in the world, under its private label Chek. Chek’s flavors span the spectrum from Club Soda and Ginger Ale to Grape, Green Apple, Strawberry and “Kountry Mist”. The store brand scores big nostalgia points, with one fan on Reddit sharing how “Chek was always barbecuing in the 90s.” Another specifically shouted: “This strawberry check[sic] always hit differently. Beyond its many Chek flavors, the retailer also offers Cheerwine, the popular cherry-flavored soft drink rarely seen outside of the South.
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Texas-based grocery chain HEB is the supermarket of choice for many locals. From low prices to tasty private label products, there is something HEB has been able to accomplish better than most other grocery chains. As one Redditor reminds us, “A good store brand is just as good as the most expensive name brands.” And when it comes to HE-B soft drinks, another user chimed in to add “everything awesome for the HEB store brand!” The retailer regularly offers seasonally themed sodas, like Watermelon Slice and Pumpkin Creme flavors. But it is perhaps best known for its Old Fashioned Root Beer flavor. A Redditor shared, “Honestly, I tried a root beer like the other day and now that’s all I want to buy when I go to lunch.”
When it comes to soft drinks, Walmart’s Great Value brand lives up to its name. A 2-liter bottle costs just $1.18 online, with flavors ranging from orange to pineapple. A fan on Reddit particularly recommends the diet flavors, including vanilla, root beer, and lemon-lime. But it’s the Great Value cream soda that seems to be getting the most attention online, with one Redditor noting that it’s “[l]egitimately one of the best cream sodas. Another commented: ‘Great Value has some really good sodas’, quoting root beer, Mountain Lightning and Dr. Thunder, among them.
Whole Foods might not be the first grocery chain you think of when choosing where to shop based on its soda selection. After all, the health-conscious supermarket places a strong emphasis on selling products without artificial flavors. But between Whole Foods’ 365 brand and unique brands like Olipop, it’s no wonder shoppers buy their soft drinks there. One fan on Reddit described 365’s Cherry Vanilla Creme flavor as a “personal favourite”, another adding, “It’s really good, I enjoy it on good ice cream and it’s pleasant.
Like its warehouse club competitor Costco, the Walmart-owned Sam’s Club offers its own brand of products, like the retailer’s Sam’s Cola. One of its main selling points is its affordability. A fan on Reddit shared, “I don’t know at the moment, but growing up I loved that you could get these for 25 cents from vending machines outside of Walmart. At this price, you couldn’t afford NOT to have one. Although many fans on Reddit noted that Sam’s Choice vending machines had disappeared over the years, Sam’s Club still sells the “devilishly cheap” soda, as one Redditor describes it, at prices too good to pass up. .
If you’re looking for a unique soda, check to see if your area has an H-Mart. The Asian supermarket chain sells all kinds of products that you won’t find in your average American supermarket. This includes carbonated soft drinks in a wide range of flavors including mango, watermelon and calamansi. A Redditor specifically recommends the store’s cream soda and apple soda products.
Publix is a fan favorite for many reasons, including its line of private label products. You can find just about any grocery item under the Publix store brand, including a variety of soda flavors. To top it off, Publix soda is available at a bargain price, which appeals to many shoppers. A Redditor shared: “For 75 cents 2 liters they are not bad at all. The Rootbeer is good and the cola is really good. Another noted, “I would say any of their black sodas (Black Cherry, Cola, Dr. Publix in particular) are worth the price.”
Of all the national grocery chains, you can definitely count on Trader Joe’s to sell unique products you won’t find anywhere else. Indeed, the company focuses almost exclusively on its private label products, although a few smaller brands are also known to appear on store shelves. Although you’ll be hard-pressed to find an exact replica of Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper, there are other fizzy drinks available at Trader Joe’s that fans love. One Redditor pointed out, “The Ginger Brew is top notch.” Another argued that “TJ’s best drink is DEF, the bubbly pomegranate drink. AMAZING.”