[net.consumers] Those 3-liter bottles

bch@mcnc.UUCP (Byron Howes) (09/08/85)

In article <1226@brl-tgr.ARPA> wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) writes:
>Does anyone know what the motivation is behind the marketing of the
>three-liter bottles? Around here, they are available on the store
>shelves, but the marketing is actively discouraging people from buying
>them. For example, every week some or another brand of soda is on sale
>for 78 cents or 98 cents in the 2-liter bottles. The three-liter bottles
>of the same stuff always cost at least *twice* that sale price for the
>2-liter size! And I have *never* seen a sale locally (St. Louis) for
>the three-liter size, except maybe for Coke the first week the new size
>came out.
>
>So why bother tooling up and tying up shelf space for this size?
>
>Insights into the motivation of the marketing types would be
>appreciated...

Fascinating.  I thought this was only some kind of bizarreness at our
very southern supermarket.  I have no idea why this is the case, but I
have also noticed it with respect to large cans of tuna packed in water.
The larger cans are considerably more expensive than the smaller cans
(but not the smallest cans which are, as one would expect, the most
expensive.)  I'm glad I shop at a store with unit pricing on the shelves.

(I am co-posting this to net.consumers because of general consumer interest
in pricing structures.)
-- 

						Byron C. Howes
				      ...!{decvax,akgua}!mcnc!ecsvax!bch

young@yale.ARPA (Jonathan Young) (09/09/85)

In article <787@mcnc.mcnc.UUCP> bch@mcnc.UUCP (Byron Howes) writes:
>In article <1226@brl-tgr.ARPA> wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) writes:
>> [Commentary on 2-liter bottles cheaper than 3-liter bottles.]
>>
>Fascinating.  I thought this was only some kind of bizarreness at our
>very southern supermarket.  I have no idea why this is the case, but I
>have also noticed it with respect to large cans of tuna packed in water.
>The larger cans are considerably more expensive than the smaller cans
>(but not the smallest cans which are, as one would expect, the most
>expensive.)  I'm glad I shop at a store with unit pricing on the shelves.
>

Ah.  Our rule is that the medium size box of Cheerios is a better buy than
the "family" size box.

So much for the pressures of a free market!

				--- Jonathan (...decvax!yale!young@UUCP)
-----
I'm not affilated with anyone.

slerner@sesame.UUCP (Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner) (09/09/85)

> In article <1226@brl-tgr.ARPA> wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) writes:
> >Does anyone know what the motivation is behind the marketing of the
> >three-liter bottles? 

It's very simple.  They sell you a larger bottle, which you consume at
the same rate as a smaller bottle, therefor increasing the amount of 
flat soda you throw away, therefore increasing sales (in terms of liters
sold).

What's so hard to understand?  Just simple american marketing :-).


-- 
Opinions expressed are public domain, and do not belong to Lotus
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----------------------------------------------------------------

Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner

              {genrad|ihnp4|ima}!wjh12!talcott!sesame!slerner
                      {cbosgd|harvard}!talcott!sesame!slerner
                                slerner%sesame@harvard.ARPA 

mpc@rayssd.UUCP (Manny P. Costa) (09/25/85)

Just as a side note, I thought you all ought to know that Coca-Cola is now
introducing a *4-LITER* bottle called the Super Thirst Buster. The bottle
weighs nine and a half pounds and stands two feet tall. The company concedes
that owners of some older refridgerator models may have to store the bottle
on its side.

I guess Coke thinks "Bigger is better".

larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (10/13/85)

> Just as a side note, I thought you all ought to know that Coca-Cola is now
> introducing a *4-LITER* bottle called the Super Thirst Buster. The bottle
> weighs nine and a half pounds and stands two feet tall. The company concedes
> that owners of some older refridgerator models may have to store the bottle
> on its side.
> 
> I guess Coke thinks "Bigger is better".

	Soon to be followed by RC's "Imperial Gallon" container for quenching
a Royal Thirst... :-)


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