In recent years, the soda shelves have exploded with choice.
It seemed like not all that long ago when Coca-Cola and Pepsi dominated retail and convenience stores, with a little space going to Dr Pepper, 7UP, and upstarts that captured people’s attention for a minute, like Clearly Canadian and Snapple.
Now, when I visit my local Wawa or 7-Eleven, I have a paralyzing number of choices. Those shelves now offer Coke, Pepsi, and Dr Pepper products, along with Monster, Red Bull, Celsius, and at least five other energy drink brands.
There’s also flavored water, Gatorade and its knockoffs, at least six brands of iced coffee, and a smattering of sparkling waters. To make matters even more confusing, many of these brands also offer seasonal and limited-time flavors.
Another limited-time flavor, Mandarin Orange 7UP will soon hit store shelves, but if I want to get it, I have to go to Kroger.
Kroger lands 7UP exclusive flavor
7UP used to market itself as “the uncola.” It did actually once launch a cola-like spinoff, 7UP Gold, which failed miserably (and even merited a chapter in my book “Worst Ideas Ever“).
“People have a clear view of what 7Up Products should be — clear and crisp and clean, and no caffeine. 7Up Gold is darker, and it does have caffeine, so it doesn’t fit the 7 Up image,” Roger Easley, who was president of 7UP Bottling of San Francisco, said in 1989, Retroist reported.
That did not stop Keurig Dr Pepper, which now owns 7UP, from trying again and having successful 7UP brand expansions. Its latest will soon begin appearing in Kroger stores.
“Mandarin Orange 7UP is arriving soon and I cannot wait to grab this for the summer,” posted the popular Snackolator Instagram page.
The cans contain the language “endless summer,” even though the product will be released closer to winter.
“After last year’s Endless Summer release at Kroger, @7UP is dropping a new MANDARIN ORANGE flavor in both regular and zero sugar. While they did not confirm the release date, last year’s Strawberry Watermelon flavor dropped in April, so I’d expect we’ll see it in about six weeks,” Snackolator added.
Keurig Dr Pepper has not yet announced a national rollout, positioning Mandarin Orange 7UP as a Kroger-only launch at release. Last year, Watermelon Strawberry 7UP was sold only at Kroger and was never released nationally.
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Kroger has exclusive sodas
Kroger’s scale, data-driven merchandising, and willingness to support limited-time launches make it an ideal testing ground for beverage exclusives.
Exclusive LTOs benefit both the brand and the retailer, according to Progressive Grocer.
“Among the known benefits, brands can deepen their relationship with key retailer partners, potentially leading to better shelf space and promotional support. Manufacturers can also leverage exclusive launches to test new product formulations, flavors or packaging before a wider rollout,” the website shared.
Kroger has its own proprietary line of sodas and has occasionally worked with big brands including Coca-Cola and Keurig Dr Pepper on exclusive LTOs.
- Big K Soda (Kroger Private‑Label Brand): Kroger’s own soda line with a wide range of flavors (e.g., Big K Cola, Diet Cola, Dr. K (Dr Pepper-style), Lemon‑Lime, Orange, Grape, Root Beer, Peach, Grapefruit Citrus, and more). Big K sodas are exclusive to Kroger and Kroger‑owned stores such as Fred Meyer, Ralphs, King Soopers, etc., Kroger shared on its website.
- 7UP Tropical: A limited-release tropical twist on classic 7UP, blending mango and peach flavors. Initially sold only at Kroger and Kroger-family stores before expanding nationwide,” Brand Eating reported.
- Sprite Vanilla Frost: A seasonal vanilla twist on classic Sprite, brought back for the holidays and available exclusively at Kroger stores through early 2026, according to Southern Living.
- 7UP Watermelon & Strawberry: A seasonal fruit‑flavored 7UP released exclusively at Kroger stores (often available in both regular and no‑sugar options), reported Parade.
“Retailers are looking for differentiation, especially with supply chain restraints still impacting shelf space,” Soom (a Tahini brand) founder Amy Zitelman told Modern Retailer, adding that temporary exclusivity terms have been increasingly mentioned in buyer conversations when discussing distribution terms.
“Carrying a product exclusively is also a security to the retailer that’s taking a risk on a young brand.”
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