It’s the end of an era for Poppi—the prebiotic soda brand is merging with PepsiCo. News broke early Monday morning, with the soda conglomerate announcing its acquisition of Poppi for $1.95 billion. Whew!
This acquisition comes as more shoppers (*raises hand*) move away from traditional brands like Mountain Dew and Sprite for prebiotic sodas and healthier drink options.
“More than ever, consumers are looking for convenient and great-tasting options that fit their lifestyles and respond to their growing interest in health and wellness,” Ramon Laguarta, chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, said, per the press release. “Poppi is a great complement to our portfolio transformation efforts to meet these needs.”
Details about the deal including when it officially begins remain scarce. But what is clear are the fan reactions. Poppi drinkers are not super happy about this deal. “I like Poppi [but] this just ruined my day,” wrote one user. “Sad to see Poppi sell out to Pepsi,” another noted.
Many fans are concerned that the formula might change following the acquisition. One fan even suggested stocking up on Poppi before it goes through. “Buy some Poppi now and keep until Pepsi releases it under them and see if they change the formula. I wouldn't put it past them,” they wrote.
Another echoed this sentiment, adding, “Poppi is the one drink I actually love to drink often and it actually tastes good for a prebiotic soda, so Pepsi needs [to] leave this brand alone.”
"Well this is sad," said yet another skeptical commenter. "At least it was healthy for a little while. I’m done with Poppi now."
Who knows if Poppi will taste the same once it’s officially under PepsiCo? Maybe it will, maybe it won’t. Regardless, plenty of other gut-friendly sodas are on the market, including Olipop and Simply Pop. While Poppi's future may be uncertain, the era of prebiotic sodas is just getting started.
