NEW YORK — Americans wanting to cut back on soda are willing to pay more to do it.
Coke and Pepsi are pushing smaller cans and bottles that contain fewer calories and, they say, less guilt. That all comes at a price: Those cute little cans can cost more than twice as much per ounce.
Coke’s North American president Sandy Douglas noted a regular 12-ounce can of Coke on average sells for 31 cents. By comparison, a 7.5-ounce can sells for 40 cents. That translates to 2.6 cents-per-ounce for a regular can versus 5.3 cents-per ounce for the mini version.
Soda consumption has declined persistently in recent years, from the equivalent of 576 cans per year in 1998 to 450 in 2013. Public health officials blame it for making people fat and call for special taxes and even warning labels on cans.
Lauren Utvich, 31, of New York said she doesn’t normally drink soda but likes that the mini-cans turn Coke into a relatively guiltless treat without minding the cost.
“Let’s be honest,” she said. “I like them because they’re freaking adorable.”
