PepsiCo-owned soda brand Poppi will launch in the UK next month, marking its first international rollout since PepsiCo's $1.95 billion acquisition in 2025 and testing whether the fast-growing US 'modern soda' segment can translate to British consumers.

The brand will be produced and distributed locally by bottler Carlsberg Britvic, with a nationwide debut on 5 March across Tesco stores and Pret A Manger outlets, before a broader rollout later in the year.

Poppi’s entry underscores PepsiCo’s strategy to premiumise and diversify its carbonated soft drinks portfolio amid slowing growth in traditional colas.

PepsiCo completed its acquisition of the functional soda brand Poppi for $1.95 billion, including $300 million in anticipated tax benefits, back in May last year.

Positioned as a low-sugar, low-calorie soda made with real fruit juice and high fibre, the brand sits at the intersection of functionality and indulgence – a space increasingly shaped by demand for 'better-for-you' refreshment.

The five-flavour range – Strawberry Lemon, Orange, Raspberry Rose, Lemon Lime and Wild Berry – will be sold in 330ml cans, both singly and in multipacks.

While fibre-enhanced sodas remain niche in the UK, PepsiCo is betting that strong branding and social-led marketing, which helped Poppi scale rapidly in the US, can recruit younger consumers and unlock new occasions.

For retailers, the proposition is as much about trade-up and fixture disruption as health positioning.

Carlsberg Britvic said the brand’s bold design and flavour credentials offer a high-impact addition to chillers, targeting shoppers seeking flavour-led soft drinks with a modern identity.

The UK launch will serve as an early indicator of whether functional soda can move beyond the US and carve out a meaningful share in Europe’s competitive carbonates market, where reformulation, sugar reduction and premiumisation remain central battlegrounds.