Coke, Pepsi, Dr Pepper revive classics and launch new flavors

When you walk into a convenience store, what used to be refrigerators filled with soda now offer energy drinks, iced coffee, hydration beverages, and a variety of other choices.

While Coca-Cola and Pepsi products still have a promintent place, they seem to have fallen out of favor, and data actually back that up.

"In 2025, per capita soft drink consumption in the United States is estimated to reach 41.9 gallons, continuing a long-term trend of gradual decline. This ongoing contraction in soft drink consumption is primarily attributed to heightened health consciousness among consumers, who are increasingly aware of the risks associated with sugar-sweetened beverages, such as obesity and diabetes," according to data from IBIS World.

And, while it sometimes seems like Monster, Red Bull, Celsius, Prime, and other energy drinks have become the new normal, soda's decline has actually been gradual.

"From 2020 to 2025, per capita soft drink consumption contracted at an annualized rate of 0.4%. Consumer preferences have shifted in response to greater awareness of negative health effects related to both sugar and artificial sweeteners found in diet soft drinks," the data provider added.

It's a slow erosion, and Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and third-place player Keurig Dr Pepper have been working to find ways to reverse the decline. And while all three brands have cut back on their overall assortments, they have not stopped introducing new flavors.

Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Dr Pepper line up new releases

The popular Snackolator Instagram page reports that a number of new and returning products have just been released or will be released soon.

• Coca-Cola: Cherry Float (regular & zero sugar), return of Diet Cherry Coke
• Canada Dry: Strawberry Fruit Splash (regular & zero)
• Pepsi: Prebiotic varieties available in stores after online release
• Mr. Pibb: Thrillin’ Vanilla and Punchin’ Peach (regular only, 20-oz. bottles & 12-packs)
• Dr Pepper: Creamy Coconut returning April/May
• Mug Floats: Vanilla Howler (regular & sugar)
• Mountain Dew: Dirty Mountain Dew, cream soda blend
• Fanta: Crimson Sour Cherry, part of the Diablo expansion pack

Snackolator, a well-followed Instagram page covering beverage trends and product releases, tracks new and returning soda flavors across major brands.

Soda sellers face health challenges

While selling a probiotic Pepsi leans into current trends, it's challenging for soda sellers to lean into healthier trends. Americans have not abandoned soda, but they have become more aware of its potential negative health impacts.

"We found that the percentage of children and adults in the U.S. who are heavy sugar-sweetened beverage drinkers has declined significantly over time," co-author of Decreasing Trends in Heavy Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption in the United States Kelsey Vercammen told UPI.

The researchers were encouraged by the results.

"This is promising because we know that excessive sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is related to poor health," said Vercammen, a doctoral student in the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Soda companies, however, have not simply accepted that a decline is inevitable. They have adjusted their sales strategies, and that has been impactful.

"The U.S. carbonated soft drink (CSD) market defied predictions in 2025 and entered 2026 with renewed momentum. After a decade of steady decline, total soda volume stabilized in 2024 and grew 1.3% in value terms in 2025, reaching $82.7 billion (Beverage Marketing Corporation)," according to an Alibaba report.

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That's at least partially because Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper have moved toward consumer trends.

"This rebound isn’t driven by nostalgia or discounting alone. It reflects a sophisticated recalibration: brands adapting to metabolic health awareness, flavor innovation rooted in authenticity, and distribution strategies that meet consumers where they live, not just where they shop," the study showed.

Pepsi joins the prebiotic trend

"Prebiotic soda is a carbonated beverage that contains prebiotics within to help support your microbiome, or gut," registered dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix, creator of BetterThanDieting.com and author of "Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You from Label to Table," told Good Housekeeping.

Upstart brands like Poppi and Olipop offer prebiotic soda in familiar flavors such as cola, root beer, orange, and lemon-lime, claiming that their offerings are better for you than traditional sodas.

"Prebiotics known as oligosaccharides, a type of carbohydrate compound which is a fiber, have been associated with reducing the risk for heart disease, lowering cholesterol levels, decreasing risk for constipation and maintaining gut health," registered dietitian Keri Gans told Good Housekeeping.

Whether prebiotic soda can actually improve your gut health has been disputed, but there is one clear benefit of switching to these Coke and Pepsi alternatives.

"A prebiotic soda may be a good alternative for someone who is currently a regular soda drinker and is trying to cut back on added sugar," Gans said.

Pepsi has entered this market with a prebiotic variety of its namesake soda.

"Available in Original Cola and Cherry Vanilla, Pepsi Prebiotic Cola delivers the iconic Pepsi taste people have loved for decades, with functional ingredients they're looking for today. With no artificial sweeteners, just 30 calories, only 5 grams of sugar, and 3g of prebiotic fiber, Pepsi Prebiotic Cola is designed for cola-lovers, cola newbies, and the cola curious," the company shared in a press release.

Related: Coca-Cola quietly retires classic 80-year-old beverage line