Coke Adds New, Smaller Bottle Sizes, Lower Prices
Blame the economy. Blame changing dietary trends. One things for sure - the Coca Cola you see on store shelves is changing. And though we're not talking "New Coke" change circa 1984, you'll still probably notice the difference.
Coke will announce this week the launch of 12.5-ounce, 89-cent bottles to accompany the 16-ounce, 99-cent bottles it rolled out nationally last year as an alternative to 20-ounce bottles in U.S. convenience stores. It will also slash the suggested retail price on its recently introduced eight-pack of 7.5-ounce Coke "mini'' cans in supermarkets by about 20% to $2.99 to try and lure more customers.
These new sizes fly in the face of Coke's "super-sizing" strategy of the last few decades.
The proliferation represents a departure from years of relying heavily on three basic packages—20-ounce bottles in convenience stores and two-liter bottles and cases of 12-ounce cans in supermarkets—as it battled rivals PepsiCo Inc. and Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. in the $75 billion U.S. retail soda market.
Coke's move down the pricing and strategy path follows brands from other categories.
Kimberly-Clark Corp. has lowered the number of tissues and diapers in some of its packages to ease sticker shock, even as it introduces more expensive premium products for affluent consumers.