Pepsi delivers a cold shower to its customers in the U.S.: Coca-Cola is already celebrating it

No matter how strange a soda tastes, there's always someone willing to defend it. For many consumers, even drinks with less conventional flavors have their charm. That turns every business decision into a possible reason for complaint among the most loyal.

Pepsi has dealt an unexpected blow to its most loyal followers. The company has pulled a long list of flavors in the United States, and although some can still be found in stores, they've already disappeared from Pepsi's official catalog. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola is watching from a distance, celebrating as its competitor loses ground among certain consumers.

A list of flavors that won't return

The Pepsi website lets users search for their favorite sodas and check their availability. In recent weeks, several names have moved from the shelf to the "discontinued" section, which has caused discontent. Among them are flavors like Pepsi Lime, Pepsi Peach, and bolder versions like Nitro Pepsi and its vanilla variant, according to The Street.

The decision to pull products doesn't only affect Pepsi, but also impacts its Mountain Dew line. Flavors like Major Melon, Major Melon Zero Sugar, Spark, Spark Zero Sugar, or Purple Thunder Zero Sugar have been discontinued. In addition to Caffeine Free, White Out, Kickstart Mango Lime, Kickstart Original Dew, and Kickstart Blueberry Pomegranate.

This catalog cleanup seems to be part of a broader strategy. Although it hurts those who enjoyed these variants, Pepsi is reorganizing its portfolio. That means focusing on the most popular drinks and preparing the ground to introduce new products that work better in today's market.

A firm bet on local growth

Despite these eliminations, PepsiCo shows no signs of backing down; on the contrary: its CEO has reiterated that the company wants to grow even more in the United States. During a recent call with investors, he emphasized that the U.S. market remains key to their expansion plans. He believes there's plenty of room to improve in both drinks and foods.

According to the company, the future lies in exploring new channels and offering products directly to the consumer. Pepsi hopes to strengthen its presence outside the home, with new sales models and greater internal integration. All of this with the idea of turning the United States not only into a base of operations, but also into a growth engine for the rest of the world.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola can breathe easy. Fewer flavors at the competition may mean more attention for its own sodas, even the most controversial ones, like the famous and bitter Beverly, which still has its loyal fans in Italy. In the world of sodas, even the strangest ones have a place.