In Australia, a Fizz Shortage Flattens Soda Sales
A carbonation shortage causes problems for Schweppes
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It’s not for nothing that they call Australia the flattest continent. Smack in the middle of a summer heat wave, the country is experiencing a disruption in supplies of the gas that gives soda its effervescence. The result: a soft-drink shortage.
“At peak period I’m out of stock by 9:30 in the morning,” says Mark Raynes, manager of the Ritchies Supa IGA supermarket in Balnarring, a beach town southeast of Melbourne. “Our trade doubles at this time of year, and saying you’ve got no drink mixers is like saying there’s no Champagne on New Year’s Eve.”