Consumers Avoiding Extreme Drink Sizes, But Drinks Keep Getting Bigger

Science Daily reports that the elimination of smaller drink sizes at fast-food restaurants and in stores is helping trick consumers into drinking more. A new study by researchers at Duke University, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, shows that consumers tend to avoid the largest and smallest portion sizes, opting for ‘moderation’ in the middle road. But with fast food restaurants taking out smaller drink sizes and adding jumbo ones to help boost profits, this means soda-loving customers are consuming even more soda than before. Science Daily reports:

“Consumers who purchased a 16-ounce drink when a 12-ounce drink was available later chose a 21-ounce drink when the 12-ounce drink option was removed, since now the 16-ounce soda is the smallest option,” [the researchers] write. “This effect also occurred at the large end of the spectrum; people who purchased a 21-ounce drink when the 32-ounce drink was the largest size available moved up to the 32-ounce drink when a 44-ounce drink was added to the range of drink sizes available.”

By adding the 44-ounce option, the restaurant is able to shift the demand curve upward, even though the authors believe customers still want 12-ounce drinks

…But by simply reversing the trend they started in the first place, retailers could do their part to improve public health. If they eliminated the largest drink size and brought back the smallest, retailers could help curb soft drink consumption with only a slight reduction in profit (less than 2 percent).

Science Daily: The Big Gulp: Consumers Avoid Extremes in Soda Sizes