From what I've been seeing, the 20oz PET vending machine has replaced many of the can vending machines. I have a problemo with this for several reasons:

1. More expensive...$1 or $1.25 vs. $.55. It's a waste of money, since I rarely finish an entire plastic bottle of that size...I'm not your typical giant American, and I don't need that amount of soda, particularly in a plastic bottle.

2. The plastic bottle itself is atrocious. I prefer the cold, refreshing can as it rolls into the receptacle of the vending machine, and the neat sound as I flip back the tab. It just tastes better out of a can than a plastic bottle. Of course glass is the ideal, but these are the only two options you usually find. In plastic it's never as cold or refreshing, and often just plain goes warm and flat halfway through.

Anyway, have you noticed that cans are becoming more and more of a rarity in the single-serve form? Sure you can find 12-packs everywhere, but it's been awhile since I've seen just rows of cans at the grocery store. Convenience stores, sometimes. But I prefer the can, by far.

Yeah I know what you mean. Personally, I love buying cans. Especially when they were 40 cents at Walmart. The 20 oz. were only 75 cents but I figured 2 cans equals 24 oz.'s for 80 cents is better than 20 oz.'s for 75. That way I could drink one then and save one for later. If I wanted to get two different things I could do that too. With a bottle, if you drink half and put it in the fridge it gets flat. I also love cans because sometimes you get lucky and it would spit out 2 or 3 at once!! I loved it when that happened!!!

more money can be made off plastic bottles then cans

Yep...pepsidew said it in one sentence...its about money...greater profit margins, etc. Fortunately, there are plenty of places to still get single cans - mom and pops definitely.

Cans in vending machines are pretty easy to find here. Stores are another matter though.

Slurm, wasn't the 13.2 ounce PET single introduced mainly to get mom & pop stores to drop those single cans.

Correct. We were supposed to get the 13.2s up here, but they never materialized. I did see a fair amount of them from Coke United and CCBCC on my trips, though.

We still have c-stores with cans on the top row in the cold vault.

i did also see in a few places where Pepsi was selling the 12oz PET bottles loose. But Pepsi's answer to the 13.2oz has usually been the 14oz bottle.