Why Can’t I Find Diet Coke Anywhere in Great Falls?

Why Can't I Find Diet Coke Anywhere in Great Falls?

It probably isn't as bad as that.  I probably won't end up in front of a judge to deal with a divorce.  But over the last couple of weeks, it certainly has tested the waters of that bond with my wife.

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Especially since over those same last couple of weeks, I have had to repeatedly tell her that I wasn't able to return from the hunt with the nectar of the Gods that she, like millions of others across the city, state, and country yearn for every single day.

I've Seriously Considered Perhaps A Second Job At The Plant

The phenomenon seems to be everywhere.  Shelves that are completely bare of Diet Coke.  It isn't limited to one particular size either.  Or, for that matter, plastic or aluminum.  All completely bare of any sign of that beloved white and red-striped can.

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But why?  One of those reasons still has to do with the pandemic.  Supply issues continue to plague not only distributors of this nectar but across many different types of businesses that were caused by it.  Couple that with inflation, and labor woes in some areas, well, you start to see why our shelves can't seem to keep this stuff in stock.

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A Curious Outcome Is Prices Keep Rising On Us

In a sort of weird, other-worldly kind of effect, have you also noticed that if it is in stock, what the price of that soda is costing you?  According to an article from Vox and data from St. Louis Fed:

the average price of a 12-ounce can in a package of 12 was under 34 cents in April 2018. As of October 2023, it’s over 56 cents. That’s a nearly 65 percent increase.

So, even though the prices have increased, we still are buying it faster than the distributors can bring it to our stores.

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Perhaps I am doomed after all!  Does anyone have a lead on a 6-pack?