If Capri Sun were in any doubt about customer commitment, the social media meltdown in response to a new rumor about packaging changes should make it clear just how ardent fans of the drink are.
It has been alleged that the brand might switch from its iconic pouches to plastic bottles. The rumor emerged from food blog Snackolator, known for sharing product leaks, which claimed Capri Sun would soon be sold in plastic bottles and available in three new flavors.
Snackolator wrote in an Instagram post: “Capri Sun is coming for the adults with new bottles that will be arriving in stores soon! These were announced for the upcoming NACS (National Association of Convenience Shows) show and will be in three flavors (at least) to start: Fruit Punch, Strawberry Kiwi, and Pacific Cooler.
Boxes of Capri Sun sit on shelves at a grocery store in San Diego on 27 August, 2024. A rumor that the drinks brand is dropping its pouches in favor of plastic bottles have led to dismay.
Sandy Huffaker/Corbis/Getty Images
“Each bottle is 12oz and won’t need you to have to find the spot to poke the straw in and hope that it doesn’t come shooting back at you!”
It is unclear whether the bottles would replace Capri Sun’s drink pouches or be sold alongside them.
Snackolator has been correct in its product information in the past, but Capri Sun has not yet made any official announcement.
Newsweek has emailed Capri Sun to ask for confirmation about any change to plastic bottles and whether there are plans to replace pouches.
Many responses to the Snackolator post expressed outrage at the prospect of drinking the iconic juice out of anything other than a pouch.
“I prefer the pouch. Maybe it’s the nostalgia,” one user commented on Snackolator’s post.
“Simply won’t hit the same without the straw” said another.
On X, formerly Twitter, one user shared the Snackolator image and wrote: “If Capri Sun was publicly traded I’d short it with my entire life savings for this travesty of a product redesign.”
Another X user invoked the “nobody” meme and wrote: “No one. Absolutely no one. Not a soul in the world. Capri Sun: hey we got rid of the one thing that made our drinks iconic.”
Though technically marketed as a kids’ drink, Capri Sun is enormously popular with people of all ages. Approximately 6 billion pouches are sold in 100 countries globally.
According to data from Statista, Capri Sun is the leading aseptic juice brand in the U.S., outranking Kool Aid and Honest. In 2022, sales of Capri Sun amounted to $599.21 million.
Aseptic juices are those where the contents and container have been separately sterilized and then combined in a sterile environment.
Newsweek has emailed Snackolator for more information on the source of the rumor.
