Orkla Grocery | Sold for 1,000 kroner online last year

The manufacturer and stores were moved to bed by interest last year.

Christmas soda is popular with many Norwegians. Last year, Orkla launched their Fun Light Christmas Soda, which was a smash hit.

The interest was so great that Orkla felt that they and the stores were unable to meet the demand for Christmas soda. Therefore, Orkla has been significantly upgraded ahead of this year’s season.

The reception Fun Light Julebrus received last year was very impressive. We knew it was good, but we were surprised by the sheer popularity. It’s always exciting to release new flavors, so naturally it was great that many loved the news, Director of Communications Ann Gimmdahl tells Nettavisen.

Orkla has several developers working specifically to develop new flavors, and the Christmas Soda flavor has proven to be a hit with consumers.

“We’re excited about whether the response will be positive this year, but so far it seems that consumers are appreciating a comeback,” Jamdal says.

A total of 83,000 bottles of Christmas soda were found in Coop and Rema stores across the country last year. With seven times the product produced before this year’s season, just over half a million bottles will go on sale this Christmas.

Stores are upgrading

In early 2020 on Christmas Soda Eve, the demand was so great that stores ran out of product. Now supermarket chains are in full swing to get “ice cream snacks” on store shelves.

– We and the manufacturer have taken into account the increase in sales this year. And even before Christmas Eve rolled out in stores, customers started ordering this year’s edition. We expect first shipments to disappear quickly, Harald Christiansen, director of communications at Coop, told Nettavisen on Friday.

Christiansen states that the first bottles of Fun Light Christmas soda will be in place on store shelves at most Coop stores starting next Monday.

– Last year we sold 39,000 bottles, which were torn off the shelves in record time. This was a seasonal product, so the merchandise could not be reordered last year and we ran out quickly, he explains.

Last year, it was Coop’s low-priced Extra and Ups chains that had access to the limited selection. This year, more will have access.

– This year we’re rolling out Christmas Soda in all of our chains. We’ve doubled down on the purchase several times over, and while many of our chains are selling them out this year, I probably wouldn’t have to wait long to secure this year’s edition if it’s on our Christmas shopping list, tells Christiansen.

In Kiwi too, they prepare themselves for party shopping.

– It’s going to be our first year with Fun Light Christmas Soda. We look forward to seeing how customers receive news in our stores, says Nora Mile Helgesen, communications consultant at Kiwi, to Nettavisen.

At Kiwi, they will start selling their Christmas soda starting Monday, October 18th.

Rema’s press officer, Torkel Fjørtoft, confirmed to Nettavisen that also this year, the coveted product will be found on store shelves in Rema stores.

Online special sale

Stores and manufacturer Orkla failed to meet customer demand last year. Then the newspaper wrote online about the individuals who posted the new Christmas soda juice Sell on Finn.no. At that time, the price was between 100 and 1000 kroner.

Even before the start of store sales this year, many users put up the bottles for sale on the digital market.

– What do you think of people posting bottles on Finn.no at such high prices?

For people to try to make money by selling juice to Finn is beyond our control. But we think we’ve produced enough this year, so anyone who wants to buy a Fun Light Christmas soda at the store can do before Christmas, says Ann Jimdahl at Orkla.