Alcohol shelves at Lidl & Co. barren - Permanent closure announced

In a surprising turn of events, PepsiCo has announced the discontinuation of several popular beverage varieties, leaving German supermarkets and discount stores like Lidl with empty beverage shelves.

The list of discontinued beverages includes a range of flavours from Gatorade, Bubly, and other Pepsi brands. Gatorade Fit Cherry Lime, Tangerine Orange, and Gatorade Zero with Protein in Grape, Fruit Punch, Cool Blue, and Glacier Cherry flavours will no longer be available. Bubly will discontinue Lemon, Apple, Cranberry, while Bubly Bounce will discontinue Citrus Cherry, Mango Passion Fruit, and Triple Berry flavours. Additionally, Caffeine Free, White Out, Kickstart Mango Lime, Mountain Dew Original, Blueberry Pomegranate, Major Melon, Zero Sugar Major Melon, Spark, and Zero Sugar Spark will also be removed from shelves.

It's important to note that these empty shelves are not due to a price dispute, as was the case in December 2022 when Edeka removed all Pepsi products due to a disagreement over a 30% price increase. In April 2023, however, an agreement was reached, and Pepsi products returned to Edeka's shelves.

Pepsi's concentration on the German market is not specifically dated, but key industry developments and product innovations continue throughout 2024 and 2025. The impact on Lidl and other food retailers would likely include changes in product availability, distribution partnerships, and potentially competitive positioning due to PepsiCo's ongoing investments in product innovation and digital sales channels.

Popular items are selling out in stores, and consumers are facing another frustrating situation with empty beverage shelves. Many of these discontinued beverages are not available in German supermarkets and discount stores, making the situation even more challenging for consumers.

As Pepsi focuses on specific beverage types, including sports drinks, it remains to be seen how this product line adjustment will affect the German market. It's unclear whether these discontinued beverages will return to stores in the future, leaving consumers and retailers in a state of uncertainty.