wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) (09/04/85)
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... Will Martin UUCP/USENET: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin or ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA
jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) (09/06/85)
> Does anyone know what the motivation is behind the marketing of the > three-liter bottles? Good question... those 3-liter bottles are a real problem. They won't fit in my refrigerator! They won't fit in the door compartment (where 2- liter bottles fit) because they are too large in diameter, but they are also too tall to fit on the top shelf, and too large in diameter (again) to fit on the shelves underneath.* I think Coke made a big mistake; if they are going to have 3-liter bottles, they ought to be oval shaped. The one bottle I bought, I kept on top of the refrigerator, although it started growing mold in it (I guess you have to refrigerate Coke after opening it). That's the same sort of problem as with "Classic Lite" dinners, which won't fit into a toaster oven (unlike Le Menu). Why don't these people, who go to all that trouble to do research on what people will buy, research whether they will fit inside the required Common Household Appliances? * Based on the economy-model refrigerator supplied with my apartment. Your results may differ. -- Shyy-Anzr: J. Eric Roskos UUCP: ..!{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!vax135!petsd!peora!jer US Mail: MS 795; Perkin-Elmer SDC; 2486 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809-7642
cb@hlwpc.UUCP (Carl Blesch) (09/06/85)
> Does anyone know what the motivation is behind the marketing of the > three-liter bottles? > Will Martin I wonder the same thing. I can't finish a two-liter bottle before the soda goes flat. How am I ever going to get any effervescence out of that extra liter of soda in a three-liter bottle? Perhaps the three-liter bottle is for families with hordes of soda-drinking teen-agers in the house. Here in New Jersey, a typical price for a two-liter bottle of (name-your-favorite-type-of) Coke is $1.30. I've seen the three-liter bottles for $1.90. So the price is in proportion. Carl Blesch
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 Development Corp. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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... :-) === Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York === === UUCP {decvax,dual,rocksanne,rocksvax,watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry === === VOICE 716/741-9185 {rice,shell}!baylor!/ === === FAX 716/741-9635 {AT&T 3510D} syr!buf!/ === === TELEX 69-71461 ansbak: ELGECOMCLR {via WUI} ihnp4!/ === === === === "Have you hugged your cat today?" ===