Costco’s Pepsi-to-Coke switch goes viral as members sound off

Costco’s decision to switch from Pepsi to Coca-Cola became a viral conversation when the membership warehouse club announced it was making the swap from one carbonated soft drink to the other. 

Members were mixed on social media as the swap was finalized by Tuesday, with some saying on a Reddit thread that “Pepsi tastes like flat Coca Cola” and “Hot dogs don’t taste the same anymore without Pepsi.”

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“If this isn’t a sign of the apocalypse then I don’t know what is,” another person posted on X. 

Others, however, welcomed the change, which began rolling out across Costco warehouses in early July, posting on X that “Coke is so much better.” 

The company previously noted that all of its food courts will offer Coca-Cola products by the fall.

Costco CEO Ron Vachris said in January the company would be “converting our food court fountain business back over to Coca-Cola” this summer. The company has offered Pepsi products since 2013. 

Food courts are one of the company’s many ancillary businesses, which are credited for encouraging members to make trips to the warehouse retailer more often. 

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Manhattan-based psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert told FOX Business that this struck a nerve with so many because they saw it as more than a simple soda swap. 

“Coke vs. Pepsi has always been a cultural dividing line, like Yankees vs. Red Sox or Apple vs. PC,” he said. “People attach memories, family traditions, and even a sense of who they are to a brand. So when Costco suddenly took sides, it triggered a reaction far bigger than soda itself.”