This is something that I have wondered for a very long time. I used to buy 20 oz's all the time, but then I realized that I was paying way too much for them. $1.25 for a 20 oz!!!! That's rediculous!!!!!! You can get 2-liters for $1 at a lot of places. That's what I do now. I just buy a 2-liter because it's cheaper and lasts longer than a 20 oz. I thought this would be a good topic. Please reply, and I would be delighted if anyone had an explanation to this.

convenience..

nobody wants to grab a 2litre to drinkn in the car or on the go..

budget consumers by 2 liters..

the pricing of the soda isnt based necessarily on a per ounce basis, its based on marketing/convenience/packaging..

And.. 20oz are cold, while 2 liters are warm. Not many sodas are really drinkable warm. For some reason, I don't really mind drinking Dr Pepper warm, though.

Let's be honest.

20oz bottles cost that much because they can.

A dollar and a half isn't a lot of money in general, but most people don't realize that there is only a few cents worth of soft drink within the bottle.

So in the end, when the consumer walks into a convenience store thirsty, then sees 20oz of cold soda, now matter how high you price it, even though it's a horrible deal, there's a very slim chance that the consumer is walking out of there empty handed. It's either the soda or nothing.

And "nothing" isn't nearly as tasty.

Here in Mexico, a 600 ml bottle of Coke (like the 20 oz. bottle but with 9 ml more) is priced in 6 pesos (.60 cents), while a 2 liter bottle is priced in $14 pesos ($1.4 dollars). Here, the 600 ml bottle costs less and the 2 liter bottle costs more.

[ 04-24-2005, 01:11 AM: Message edited by: ramonazo ]

Another theory. Soft drink bottlers need to keep raising the net wholesale cost on the 20oz. to pay for the commidity pricing of 2 liter and cans that now exist.

Remember 20oz is the bottler's most profitable Carbonated sku.

Now for all those reasons mentioned before and the fact that the retailer NEEDS(?) to make his margin too....

I dont know maybe we all should switch to the fountain

Fountain is dirt cheap. The cup usually costs more than the drink itself.

When placing a fountain, the bottler/distributor will run the lines from wherever the bag in box/tanks will be stored (sometimes right under/near the fountain, sometimes in a back room), provide a fountain, and sometimes even give the first set of bag in box or tanks for free to a new customer. Going forward, the restaurant/store just has to buy more bag in box or tanks and CO2.

I understand that they are more expensive for the fact that they are convienient. That is why many people would rather buy them than a 20 oz. but I am a tightwad, and I always love to get the maximum I can get for my money. Jimmy, I know you said that no one wants to grab a 2-liter to drink in the car, and that is true for the most part. I am an exception to that though. It is something that I do quite often and I will continue to do that as long as the 2-liter is cheaper. I know I sound crazy but that's just how I am. I also agree that the fountain drinks are very cheap. Anytime you can get a 44 oz. drink for 69 cents is a pretty good deal. Thats what I get when I'm not thirsty enough for a 2-liter. Keep posting here. I'd like to hear some other peoples opinions.

It also has to do w/the fact that usually the quick 20oz is cold and the 2 liter isnt. I mean, you can buy a room temp 6 pack of 20oz soda's for say $3.50, but if you go to a soda machine or even in the store, the same 6 sodas in the refrigerated area or machine is gonna cost a few dollars more.

it's all about convience