The Pop Shoppe Cola
A remarkably simple retail concept formed the foundation of The Pop Shoppe. The same concept fueled the company’s rapid growth during the 1970s, but also contributed to its downfall. As competitors copied the business model and supermarkets changed the Canadian soft drink market, The Pop Shoppe quickly lost the competitive advantage that had fueled its success.
Founded in 1969 in London, Ontario, the company introduced a retail concept unlike that of other Canadian soft drink brands. Instead of selling through supermarkets, it operated company-owned and franchised depots where customers returned a 24-bottle crate with empty returnable glass bottles, received their deposit back, and filled the crate with any combination of the available flavors. At a time when supermarkets typically sold multipacks containing a single flavor, customers could create their own assortment while buying soft drinks at prices well below those of traditional retailers. Cola was introduced during the company’s early years and eventually became one of 26 flavors. The original cola was sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.
Rapid growth
The business expanded quickly during the 1970s. Revenue increased from CAD 1.2 million in 1973 to CAD 17.1 million in 1976. The company entered the United States and operated outlets in 11 states by 1975. Former National Hockey League player Eddie Shack became the brand’s spokesman in 1976.
By 1977, The Pop Shoppe was producing around one million bottles per day. Its soft drinks were sold in returnable glass bottles known as “stubbies”, and almost all bottles were returned, washed and refilled for reuse. The company’s success also inspired several regional competitors, including Pick-A-Pop in Manitoba, Pop House in Saskatchewan and Happy Pop in Edmonton, which adopted similar retail concepts.
Quick Decline
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, large supermarkets expanded their soft drink selections, introduced discounted national and private-label brands, and increasingly sold beverages in disposable cans. The Pop Shoppe withdrew from the United States in 1981. Its parent company was placed under court-appointed financial administration in late 1982, and the original business ceased operations in 1983.
Millions of the company’s glass bottles remained in circulation and were reused by independent soft drink bottlers in the United States for years afterwards. The trademark expired in 1993.
Revival
Entrepreneur Brian Alger acquired the abandoned trademark in 2002 after discovering that it was no longer registered. Because the original recipes had been lost, he purchased unopened bottles through online auctions and had their contents analyzed in order to recreate the original flavors.
The Pop Shoppe returned in 2004 as a premium soft drink brand sold through conventional retail channels. Cola rejoined the range in 2006 with a new formulation sweetened with cane sugar. It contained 12.7 g of sugar per 100 ml. For comparison, Coca-Cola contains about 10.6 g per 100 ml. The classic stubby bottle returned in 2009. Beverage World Inc. acquired the brand in 2016, and cola was discontinued in 2020 because of low sales, while several other classic flavors remain in production.
