Shipping costs for soft drinks, from Europe

[mcdonaat]

Apparently, shipping costs for two 0.5L Fanta Orange, from the UK to Louisiana, is $9. However, Brit Food Store wanted to charge me $28 to ship from the UK to here, for two 0.5L Fantas, but they were different flavors. Why so different? Maybe someone over there could quote me on how much it would actually cost to ship Fanta from the UK to the US?

[rickmastfan67]

Apparently, shipping costs for two 0.5L Fanta Orange, from the UK to Louisiana, is $9. However, Brit Food Store wanted to charge me $28 to ship from the UK to here, for two 0.5L Fantas, but they were different flavors. Why so different? Maybe someone over there could quote me on how much it would actually cost to ship Fanta from the UK to the US?

If you have a Costco nearby, they right now have a 24 pack of Fanta Orange(12)/Grape(6)/Strawberry(6) 355mL glass bottles on sale.  Might be cheaper then having to deal with shipping, plus it's made with real sugar (it's the Mexico version).

[mcdonaat]

Apparently, shipping costs for two 0.5L Fanta Orange, from the UK to Louisiana, is $9. However, Brit Food Store wanted to charge me $28 to ship from the UK to here, for two 0.5L Fantas, but they were different flavors. Why so different? Maybe someone over there could quote me on how much it would actually cost to ship Fanta from the UK to the US?

If you have a Costco nearby, they right now have a 24 pack of Fanta Orange(12)/Grape(6)/Strawberry(6) 355mL glass bottles on sale.  Might be cheaper then having to deal with shipping, plus it's made with real sugar (it's the Mexico version).

I do like those, but its the same flavors as the US, while I'm looking for strange things like Icy Lemon and Shokata Fanta.

Nexus 7

[english si]

Not heard of that latter one. And I don't see why Icy Lemon is that strange (Fruit Twist is, and its horrible) - it might be different, but it's not strange!

Looking we can get:
Orange
Fruit Twist
Icy Lemon
Raspberry & Passion Fruit
Mango & Passion Fruit
Peach & Apricot
Grape (new, and rather different for us - I don't think I've either seen grape soda in the UK before, and its not as if we're that keen on grape juice (outside of wine, of course) or grape-flavoured products)

[mcdonaat]

Grape is everywhere here! My favorite truck stop in West Monroe, Louisiana (only my favorite because of the 24/7 Subway and Wendy's) has Welch's, Crush, Sunkist, Fanta, and Faygo as grape sodas. They're probably the second most common, after orange.

Icy lemon sounds good, and Peach/Apricot sounds like heaven.

[rickmastfan67]

They have Peach Fanta in the new Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.
http://www.coca-colafreestyle.com/#!/100-brands/brand/fanta

They even have Mello Yellow Peach in those too.  Both of them taste very good!
http://www.coca-colafreestyle.com/#!/100-brands/brand/mello-yello

[mcdonaat]

They have Peach Fanta in the new Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.
http://www.coca-colafreestyle.com/#!/100-brands/brand/fanta

They even have Mello Yellow Peach in those too.  Both of them taste very good!
http://www.coca-colafreestyle.com/#!/100-brands/brand/mello-yello

There's an underlying taste - corn syrup. I would prefer the Mello Yello Zero Peach, which tastes delicious, except for all of the caffeine. I think that Fanta Peach in a can tastes way better than out of a Freestyle. Once you actually taste the drinks that you've thought up in your mind for years, the newness seems to wear off for me.

If they had MexiCoke in the machine, I would be a regular patron to my local Wendy's!

[rickmastfan67]

They have Peach Fanta in the new Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.
http://www.coca-colafreestyle.com/#!/100-brands/brand/fanta

They even have Mello Yellow Peach in those too.  Both of them taste very good!
http://www.coca-colafreestyle.com/#!/100-brands/brand/mello-yello

There's an underlying taste - corn syrup. I would prefer the Mello Yello Zero Peach, which tastes delicious, except for all of the caffeine. I think that Fanta Peach in a can tastes way better than out of a Freestyle. Once you actually taste the drinks that you've thought up in your mind for years, the newness seems to wear off for me.

If they had MexiCoke in the machine, I would be a regular patron to my local Wendy's!

I would love to try the Fanta Peach in a can, but they don't have it in my local area (just via a FreeStyle).  They only the Orange and Strawberry here in cans/2L.  But to be honest, if I had a choice on where to get the Fanta Strawberry, I would rather drive down to Charlotte, NC and get it @ a Jack in the Box.  It just tastes way better there than it does coming out of a FreeStyle machine.

[mcdonaat]

I actually think that Fanta Orange tastes best coming out of the DQ on Hwy 28E, and 7up tastes the best from the EZ Mart in Winnfield, along with IBC Rootbeer and Sunkist Orange... probably because 7up themed fountains are rarer than an Indian head penny in the wild.

[Brandon]

Apparently, shipping costs for two 0.5L Fanta Orange, from the UK to Louisiana, is $9. However, Brit Food Store wanted to charge me $28 to ship from the UK to here, for two 0.5L Fantas, but they were different flavors. Why so different? Maybe someone over there could quote me on how much it would actually cost to ship Fanta from the UK to the US?

Why order them from the UK?  Orange Fanta (with sugar, not HFCS) is usually available as an import from Mexico at many grocers in 12 ounce glass bottles.

[mcdonaat]

Apparently, shipping costs for two 0.5L Fanta Orange, from the UK to Louisiana, is $9. However, Brit Food Store wanted to charge me $28 to ship from the UK to here, for two 0.5L Fantas, but they were different flavors. Why so different? Maybe someone over there could quote me on how much it would actually cost to ship Fanta from the UK to the US?

Why order them from the UK?  Orange Fanta (with sugar, not HFCS) is usually available as an import from Mexico at many grocers in 12 ounce glass bottles.

From what I've heard, 12oz glass bottle MexiFanta isn't anything like UK Fanta... Main thing is no juice in MexiFanta, but 5% in UK. It also has vegetable concentrates in the UK, while MexiFanta has the same ingredients as the US, but sugar instead of HFCS.

Nexus 7

[NJRoadfan]

If you are going to import from the UK, get something local like IRN-BRU.

[agentsteel53]

speaking of importing beverages - anyone know where I can find Sol beer with Clamato?  it's easy to find in Mexico, but seemingly impossible in the US.

[mcdonaat]

If you are going to import from the UK, get something local like IRN-BRU.

I've tried Irn Bru, and love it! However, I have a Fanta collection, and UK Fanta is easier to find than Fanta from Bosnia. Too bad I can't take a world trip!

Nexus 7

[english si]

Looking on the Royal Mail.
1) cannot sent liquids over a litre overseas (so have to split it up)
2) a 600g package (a 0.5L bottle) is £6.55 to send to the USA
3) $9 sounds cheap, looking at this.

I'd have a look around at other importers. Amazon.com has Icy Lemon and Fruit Twist (I've not actually seen the other non-orange flavours in the flesh, though I never really look at the cans) for fairly reasonable prices, and it looks like UK stuff.
http://www.amazon.com/Fanta-Lemon-1-5L-Imported-Europe/dp/B000LRH5MI/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401281693&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=fanta+icy+lemon
for instance. You can import 24 packs on Amazon for a couple of dollars a can (including other European flavours), which ain't bad.

Either that, or if you know someone flying transatlantic, see if they are willing to transport some Fanta from Europe to the USA.

Oh, and a lot of UK sodas are being spiked with sweeteners to replace some of the sugar (despite being worse for you) in non-diet, non-zero/max (bloke's diet). CocaCola is leading this campaign, that means I can't and won't touch them with a barge pole (aspartame and sucralose both taste bad* and makes me feel ill). The campaign is about health, but really it is as sugar is expensive compared to sweeteners.

Looking, the Grape Fanta seems to be an import from the states, rather than a UK thing.

*LOL at this page saying that drinks that have been contaminated still have the same great taste, but then saying that "we will not be changing Coca‑Cola as we know our consumers love its great taste." So my taste buds don't lie, it does affect the taste!

---

Note that a smallish box of Captain Crunch (less than a pound in weight) is usually £7 in TESCOs (until the dates run low, then it's half price and therefore only about twice the price of non-imported cereal!). Part of that is customs shite with the protectionist EU and the protectionist US having a tariff on grocery imports for non-personal use that undermines a lot of the shipping cost economies of scale that stores can get.

[mcdonaat]

Usually, if it has the dreaded HFCS, it's an import from the US. However, after looking at the prices, the reason why it was so cheap is because the Fanta was imported Orange, but shipped inside of the States. Both were actually Austrian, and tasted like a highly carbonated orange juice, but were still miles better than our Fanta.

I do know of people that are flying transatlantic, but they won't pick up any.