Consumerist point us to an article in the Wall Street Journal that reports that soda makers are struggling with their financial forecasts after declining sales of Coca-Cola’s most profitable product – the 20 Oz bottle (You know the 20 Oz bottle – the one that looks like a single serving drink but somewhere hidden on the label you’re reminded that the content is actually 2.5 servings). WSJ reports:
Sold in corner groceries, vending machines and other outlets since the early 1990s, soft drinks in 20-ounce plastic bottles revitalized U.S. sales for Coca-Cola and PepsiCo Inc. by getting Americans to drink larger servings. Because they are often sold at prices similar to a two-liter bottle, they have also been highly profitable for the companies’ bottlers.
Now, health concerns, aging baby boomers’ waning thirst for giant-size sodas and the softening economy are taking the fizz out of the 20-ounce bottle. While U.S. soda sales in major retail channels overall declined 3.5% in the first quarter, convenience-store sales dropped 4.2%, according to Beverage Digest, an industry publication. The 20-ounce bottle accounts for most convenience-store soda sales.
To win back sales, several Coca-Cola and Pepsi bottlers are conducting pilot tests on a variety of bottle sizes they hope will appeal to consumers put off by the 20-ounce bottle or looking for a cheaper option to cushion the blow of high food and energy prices.
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