Those sneaky bastards!

I see that the Coca-Cola Company has found a new way to keep their product cost friendly to the consumer; they just redefined the word case. For as long as I can remember a case of any liquid refreshment found in a can held 24 of them. With the exception of the 30 can pack from Old Style (because you can’t give that stuff away) it has held true throughout my life.

While I was in the store recently, I looked over at the soda display and saw that they were stacked inconsistently. It seems that during the change over there were still a few 24-can packs mixed in with the new smaller cases. What caught my eye was the price; it was the same for the 20-can pack as it was for the 24.

Coke is not the only company re-sizing products. If you haven’t noticed, most of your snacks like Cheez-Its, potato chips and many others have been reduced in size but not price. And they try to make the container look the same by making it a little thinner but not really smaller. It’s the retailer’s way of gently guiding you into buying less without it being their fault for raising prices. And before you know it you’re buying 1.5 quarts of ice cream but still thinking it’s a half gallon.

The part that doesn’t make sense is that most people are going to drink the same amount of soda whether the price goes up or the case quantity goes down. With the smaller case they will just have to buy it more often. Wait a minute, I get it now. They have made it so I have to buy extra just to get the amount I want. Those sneaky bastards.