In October 2018, the owner of S&Z Grocery located in Athens, Alabama made a firm decision not to offer 20-ounce Pepsi or Diet Pepsi bottles with a promotional logo that he did not approve of. Despite offering a broad range of products, the NFL emblem displayed on the bottles did not align with the owner’s beliefs, prompting him to take them off the shelves.
Phillip Stewart, the owner of S&Z Grocery, explained to WAFF that he refused to support the NFL due to his strong opposition to their practices. He shared via a Facebook post that he could not sell the product with integrity while it displayed the emblem on it. Stewart disagreed with the way some NFL players protested by kneeling during the national anthem, which they did to condemn racism and police brutality in 2016.
Stewart acknowledged the players’ motivation behind the protest but said he did not agree with the tactic. In an interview with WHNT, he stated that he believed there were other ways to address the issue.
Despite mixed reactions, many people praised Phillip Stewart for standing up for his beliefs by discontinuing NFL-branded Pepsi products. However, others deemed his actions unnecessary. If you have ever taken a stance on a controversial issue, even if it was unpopular, please share this post. Stewart confirmed that he would continue to sell Pepsi products but not those with the NFL logo, as it would be present on the bottles during the Super Bowl, according to his distributor.