It seems like whenever I drive an hour or so (or more) out of the Twin Cities Metro, I find a better assortment of soda pop.

Take yesterday, I found not only the usuals we have around here (everything except Tropicana Twister soda and Sunkist Lemonade. Pepsi had Sunkist, orange only) In addition, I saw the following pops frequently that are rare or absent around my parts:
Sun Drop
Orange Crush
RC Cola was actually everywhere
Diet A&W Cream Soda
Mug Cream Soda (and its diet version)
Ruby Red Squirt
Diet Pepsi Vanilla

But yeah, is this true anywhere else in the country that in rural areas there is actually better assortment of products from the Big 3? Seems kind of odd.

Well I think a lot of it has to do wtih space in chain stores... everyone always raves about walmart super centers in their parts of the country but I don't have any near me, but when I finally visited some on a tour... I was shocked at the lack of variety in these accounts.. (obviously I expect it from discount centers but not super centers) The jewel and pick-n-saves have an amazing variety near me not just in flavor but package sizes as well, sentry's also had a good assortment some a few less flavors due to space but even small sentry's had a better variety than walmart super centers.

jewel listed below...

drpepper
diet drpepper
caffeine free drpepper
cherry vanilla drpepper
diet cherry vanilla drpepper
berries and cream drpepper
diet berries and cream drpepper
7up
diet 7up
cherry 7up
diet cherry 7up
7up plus mixed berry
7up plus island fruit
squirt
diet squirt
ruby red squirt
A&W
diet A&W
A&W cream
diet A&W cream
schweppes ale
vernors
diet vernors
countrytime lemonade
countrytime pink lemonade
countrytime light
tahitian treat
welchs grape
sunkist orange
diet sunkist orange
sunkist lemonade
diet sunkist lemonade
big red
sundrop
diet rite cola
diet rite cherry cola
diet rite black cherry
diet rite tangerine
diet rite white grape
diet rite raspberry
rc
diet rc

Okay I ran out of paper at this point to copy down flavors... but throw in crush flavors... canfields flavors... you get the point...

walmart super center below...

drpepper
diet drpepepr
7up
diet 7up
aw
diet aw
squirt
orange
rite
rc

Now some people might say well I must have gone to an absolute huge jewel versus a small discount store... no this was a smaller jewel store and the super center was one of two in that town so it goes to show you just how much of a variety difference there was in brands I work with.

newage was a little better in variety but even that was blowing me away... does walmart realize how little they offer their shoppers from some companies? (I'm sure some of the flavors vary by region but they only had so much space to work with)

I once worked for Wal-Mart and this is what I have gathered. They will carry what they know they can sell or move in high volumes. They won't carry a dud of a product for very long. If something doesn't sell, you'll usually see it on the clearance aisle after long, they would rather take the loss on what they have in-stock rather than order more of that dud of a product. A customer once complained about the selection of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, that it was far less of other stores. The manager told the customer that Wal-Mart only carries the Top 5 or Top 10 of B&J's flavors because thats what sells. I do know that since I have left Wal-Mart, I have read that they are trying to incorporate more local products into its stores. So maybe they will start adding more local products in the future.

Wal-Mart does not care about local products. As far as Wal-mart is concerned they would just as soon put them out of business rather than sell their products.

We have had success with Wal-Mart regarding semi-local products including Sundrop,Diet Sundrop, and Cheerwine. The hard part is getting it authorized. Once you get past that, let it rip as long as you use the space alloted to the bottler in the WM modular. If you were to try to get something like Hanks or some off the wall energy, forget about it.

I will shop at Costco... you not find me in a Walmart...never.

We just got a Costco here, haven't been yet. How much is the avg. membership?

$45 I think

Originally posted by SumPoosieCat:
I will shop at Costco... you not find me in a Walmart...never.

You only wissh you could get your swill into a Walmart.

Smaller chain and independent stores have realized that the only way to compete with Wal-Mart is to offer items that Wal-Mart does not.

I've found some of the best varieties of soft drinks in small country stores and highway convenience stores.