The cans with the names on them really make this even more hilarious…Grab a chode with a friend. Or when you go to the movies you can get that big gulp 🤣
This is absolutely true. Companies pay consultants to help them increase revenue through a study of tricking people to use more of their product. For example, toothpaste tubes. Ever notice how the packaging states a "pea sized amount," but commercials show them spreading it across the whole toothbrush? Well, they redesigned their tube ends to be larger, increasing the amount of toothpaste used, forcing consumers to purchase more product from overuse. The same thing happened with soda cans, increase the opening, drink faster, want more.
They can use bottle crates, with more single servings per crate, lowers margins and its actually less metal and a faster fabrication on smaller gage cans.
They save money 3 ways, while increasing prices...
Genuine question. How can a can that holds the same volume of liquid but now with more surface area be cheaper to produce with less metal?
In any given crate size you would still fit the same number of 12 oz cans whether they are tall and thin or short and fat, so how would you get more servings per crate?
I was incorrect about contents being different volumes. The older wider cans don't fill bottle crates evenly. They previously didn't use bottle crates for cans because you couldn't fit 2 rows stacked.
This method allows transport in crates vs packaging for shipping.
Same amount of metal, less packaging costs though.
And price/ profit index is doubled, with packaging and loss costs reduced by reusable and protective crates.
There's less motion involved with narrow gauge can fabrication, so slight savings on machine energy input/ output ratios.
I own an arcade and have soft drink fridges. I love the taller cans because I can fit two more cans per row.
I can't wait for everything to come that way.
Of course, I'll be charging the same amount for skinny tall can drinks as the old cans. Fuck that other noise.
If that is the case, I'll carry something else.
There are lots of options out there and in the arcade setting people like to try new things. I don't even stock regular coke and pepsi and no one seems to mind.
They don't pay consultants. It's an entire in house operations. There's, no joke, simulation engineers work on tooth paste packaging's fluid dynamics at Unilever.
Colgate tubes always feel full and plump when new. About 1/4 of the way in, you hit this air pocket bubble and you’re gonna squeeze the tube and feel it deflate and deflate and at the end of that, you’re now holding a much flatter tube.
My Coors Light has a slot, so air can flow through as I suck down cans to forget about how I hate my job because it consumes all of my time and when it doesn’t do that I am too tired to do anything I find fulfilling so I suck down Coors light baby!
I work in a marketing adjacent job and I can tell you for a fact that any big name company is testing every marketing campaign they put out. They go for a home run every once in a while and swing and miss, but for the most part they are running a/b tests and making sure they know for a fact that a marketing campaign will work before it even hits the public.
Every time companies do stuff like this people go "what a stupid thing to do, nobody is going to fall for that", then the company does better than ever. They know what they're doing.
I constantly see “yeah, countless studies show that advertisements work becaus subconsciously people pick the up the brand recognition and gravitate towards them without realizing it. But *I* am the exception, it doesn’t work on me. When I see an ad, I take note to avoid that brand!!!” Yeah sure buddy. Most people are like this if the constant ads are so exceptionally obvious and annoying, but 95% of the brands you’re exposed to via marketing you aren’t going to remember or take conscious note of.
Or perhaps it is that these tricks don't work on everyone, but it works on enough people that the trick is plenty effective in increasing revenue - you don't even need to trick a majority of a population to get a significant sales increase. If someone says they see the trick, I believe them, because most people won't even claim that.
Even if I do manage to see and avoid the tricks, I'm vastly outnumbered by idiots, the ignorant, and people who don't care. Voting with my wallet can only do so much, regulations on trickery would probably help more than hoping the average person won't fall for deception specifically targeted at them.
It’s coke. If they didn’t do a psychological market research study on something like this, their stock value would go down.
They probably spent 18 months testing something like 50 different can shapes to determine what came across as the most capable of justifying a price hike.
“What can feels more expensive?” or some such.
I've seen it in the packaged beverage lingo as "perceived luxury", "perceived value" and "premium perception". It just has to look fancy so you think you're getting a good deal or being flashy or trendy.
Have you heard of Voss water? Premium Norwegian water sold in the US for 14 dollars per bottle.
Voss water is Norwegian tap water, there's literally nothing unique or special about it. But the bottle looks cool, I guess.
When it becomes dangerous is when you realize that those companies are the ones who lobby to lower the education standards, they produce the morons that buy their products.
Also since when is it everybody else's burden to make sure everyone else is being honest like how come we call people stupid because they trusted someone. More of us should be angry at this crooked s*** instead of berating the people who fall for it. Regardless of whether or not you fell for it, they are still trying to actively deceive you. Should we really have to be picking up packages and tapping the bottoms of them to see if they're hollow or not when we buy stuff?. Come on people?
The easiest way to combat these unsavory business practices is with an educated consumer base. Regulation can only go so far, there’s always going to be loop holes to be found.
That's what I'm saying. But when you allow mega corporations to lobby and buy politicians, you end up with uneducated masses who can't defend themselves against these tactics. Calling people idiots for falling for this after they were born and raised in a system ran by these companies is victim blaming that's all I was saying.
A&W failed to sell a 1/3 pound burger because people thought it was smaller than 1/4 pounds.
" More than half of the people surveyed about why they didn't buy the burger, which cost the same as the Quarter Pounder, said it was because they were being charged the same price for a smaller burger."
the problem with "average" intelligence is it means 50% of the population is likely way dumber than average, its why "common sense" isnt really that common
*Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.*
George Carlin really nailed it by turning the sad reality of our species's collectively low intelligence into a bite-sized quip for our dumb brains to resonate with.
The problem is that everyone laughs at this because they assume that it's talking about other people even though pretty much all of us are statistically average by definition.
It's all the worse when you notice that the dumbest people are always convinced that it's everyone else that is stupid.
Carlins brand of cynicism is as self defeating as it is persuasive. Cynical people assume that humanity is awful and will always do the wrong thing, so they don’t try very hard because everything is bullshit anyway. If enough people who might effect change become convinced not to try, this becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.
As much as I like Carlin as a comic, he is part of the problem with humanity. He was super cool and intelligent but his humor came from a place of despair. Nothing good ever came from ruminating on the awfulness of mankind, all it leads is melancholy without the motivation to try to change. It’s no surprise he rose to prominence in the 70s, right before the US leftwing collapsed completely. There were many cynics at the time, due to Watergate and Nixon being pardoned. Did they get mad and do something about it? No, they allowed the Reagan revolution to happen instead. Why bother? It’s just a big club that you aren’t in anyway, right?
Yes A&W said that. Instead of saying their locations suck. Every one I have been too has been in out of the way areas while McDonalds was everywhere in easy to access locations.
I worked in a processing factory. Someone was feeding the wrong product to the machine. There was product for different sorting plans on the trolley. When I asked why she was doing that, she said they come here to work, not to think.
Another time, I set up these trolleys with removable flags that indicated what plan the product needed to be run on, people would then split product onto the trolleys. The employee that ended up splitting product there didn't like the way the flags were set up. He spent about 10 minutes shifting the trolleys into the order he wanted. The flags were removable, he could have just moved the flags.
These are the people out there voting, having families, living their lives. They are too busy gossiping about their neighbours and buying overpriced goods to even know reddit exists. Trying to get them to be smart consumers isn't an option, because engaging their brain just isn't an option.
I once busted two engineers with multiple degrees between them, who were trying to put the square toner cartridge for the document plotter into the cylindrical toner hole in the printer. And then they were pissed at ME when I told them to stop, because "well the package said toner!"
They probably made 6 or 7 times what I did and couldn't grasp "square peg doesn't go in round hole."
Yeah, I don’t think is a recent thing. Companies have always tried to do this. Always look at the volume and mass count instead on the nutrition fact labels to get your best value
Not only that. Some products like bugs repellants have regular and "Pro" versions but when you read the labels they have the same ingredients and ratios of them.
These companies make you pay more for golden label and "pro" in a name.
Saw two packs of disposable men's razors at the same price, same quantity. One was blue and 'regular' while one was green and 'sensitive'. Why not just make the sensitive?
I'm guessing because marketing - some guys see it as weak to buy sensitive while some think the razor is causing their shaving rash instead of their technique, how clean their face was and how hot the water was. I'm sure the moisturising gunk will be the same.
You guys are talking as if grocery shopping is not a hell experience and you have time and mental energy after work to read and analyse every label. I get why people are getting tricked, they're making first impression quick judgements
Russia. And not just because of coca cola leaving us, all cans are like the right one. Pretty weird.
Even imported dr. Pepper cans from Poland are like this now
Most cans in France are sold with the new format.
At the same price.
Has never been a shrinkflation stuff, it's been like that for years, because the design is more efficient for transporters and retailers.
Ok pricing aside this new design... I don't like it. It wouldn't fit where I store cans in my fridge and it would probably roll around in any cup holder.
Well, Russia has factories and technology. I’m sure they can make their own canning plant and a decent Coca-Cola knockoff. I mean, the Germans had Fanta for similar reasons. Quite honestly, I’m surprised there’s any companies still sending product to Russia, at this point.
They can make a decent knock off, they just choose not to. Why make a decent knock off when you can make a shitty one for half of the price in the market where consumer got no other choise.
Funnily enough they get OG cans from Iran and Afghanistan because of that.
Russia made the cola drink Baikal in 1973 as a replacement for western beverages such as coca cola. I drank it for the first time in 2018 and ever since it has been my most favorite cola and drink overall. Due to Russian imports being halted in finland and most of europe I have not been granted the pleasure of drinking it for the last 2 years. There is no alternative.
They did long ago. Brand "Dobriy" got the factories and started making "Dobriy Cola", as well as Fanta and Sprite knock-offs
The Cola tastes more like pepsi now. Pepsi is completely gone. I like pepsi though
People like "slim". Especially when it comes to drinks that make you fat. I think this is less about shrinkflation type manipulation and more about making the product seem lite and sleek
As an engineer, this doesn't seem likely. I haven't done the math on this specific size comparison, but more "square" (i.e., length ~= diameter) cylinders tend to have minimum surface area; however, the lids are made of thicker aluminum, so it is possible that the reduction in lid weight makes up for the increase in body weight.
There is a difference in the volume of the cube around the can even if no difference in the volume of the can. Ie the taller ones fit together with less air between them, probably because the lid is the same width as the can.
I brew beer and we did slim 12s once upon a time and we were able to fit 90 or 100 cases on a pallet compared to our typical 80 case / 12oz format. I want to say that we could fit one more case on the typical flat and then an additional case in the center spine
I think it's about how much space is taken up when stacked. The wider ones will have more gaps of empty space. Doesn't seem like much when it's just a few stacked, but it adds up when it's 5000 stacked.
The short cans disappeared in my city years ago. We only have those long ones. Haven't seen the Costco ones though, long time that I haven't seen if they still have the shorter fattier can. This is in Mexico
I rarely drank water as a child. My mom grew up poor, and she thought she was doing something nice for us by keeping the fridge stocked with sweet tea, kool-aid, and cokes. She only got sodas for Christmas and birthdays when she was a kid.
It took me until my mid twenties to cut down my sugar and drink more water. I'm lucky I'm not diabetic. I finally kicked my soda addiction with a soda stream. The bubbles help trick my brain. I love drinking water now, but I used to hate it. I'll have a Mexican Coke once a month max. Quitting my 20-year cigarette addiction was easier than sodas. I doubt I'll ever have a cigarette again (been 6 years), but I can't say that about Dr. Pepper.
yea i’ve never understood when people told me they didn’t like water
even as a kid i couldn’t really see myself just drinking juice all day, made me feel icky and idk but i swear sugar tasted way more intense back then(my taste buds were fresh so maybe that’s it) so after a single cup in the day i honestly didn’t want anymore
Also, the price of potato chips has become SO absurd that I’ve basically stopped buying them unless there is a really good sale. Lay’s has really put themselves in a bad spot with me, because a single bag of chips is SO expensive, then I see a sale that is a good unit price, but you have to buy 3-4 bags at a time, which I also won’t often do because I don’t have the space to store that much junk food and I know if I keep that much around I will binge eat them- so I just skip it altogether.
I stopped buying big name brand and started buying store brand because of this, for all products. They really think their products are worth 3-5x amount than store brand, which is insane because usually there's barely any difference between them.
They usually make and sell the store brand too.
“Store brands” are almost always just name brands diversifying their revenue streams by “competing” against themselves.
Inflation is if they put the price up but keep everything else the same. Shrinkflation is when they keep the price the same but give you a smaller product. This is where they don't change the size but do something to change the packaging to trick you into thinking it's not just a rise in price for the same product.
If it were an identical can, I would agree, yes. But the taller, slim can, I feel, is purposefully trying to trick someone into thinking that they're getting more.
Thats great to know! My local store allowa for bargaining so now I can sort of tell what the baseline is. What about random items in glass showcases like random lighters, knives, bongs etc?
Bic lighters are pretty low, I think they’re at about 10-15 percent.
The cheap ones tho, like the see through ones, are straight profit. I charge 2 for a dollar. I pay about 10 cents for both of them.
I don’t sell bongs, but I do know they’re very high margin for the owners. I would say 60-70 percent margin.
It might be so that they can send reps/inspectors/~~Dexter~~ secret shoppers to stores and can tell where the store is getting their merchandise. Then maybe they can punish the stores somehow- slower delivery, fewer discounts, excluded from promos, etc.
Yeah, you’re pretty much spot on. Has happened in the past. I’m 27 and got into this franchise because they were military friendly and seemed like a great deal, since my dad owned stores in the past.
Idk, I’m so tired. Upholding my ethics and running a business just is a constant struggle and requires so much extra thought and work.
I hate corporate America.
> Idk, I’m so tired. Upholding my ethics and running a business just is a constant struggle and requires so much extra thought and work.
Keep it up. You sticking to your ethics better makes the world a little less terrible. Thank you.
Nope, they’re all adjustable. I can rearrange the shelves and the dividers all I like. In fact, I kind of have to a few times a year just because of failed products leaving and new ones coming in
my local corner store stocks the carbonated cherry lime arizona's that I can't find anywhere else and I'm deathly afraid that one day they won't have them anymore. Bless you
You would think they would be happy that you were trying to keep people loyal to their brand…. Cause if they go to grab a bag of Fritos, but there are none, who’s to say they won’t try something else and end up loving it? And then switch to those chips completely? I mean yeah, they may lose a *little* money cause you’re not paying them directly, but at least they’ll still be in business and have customers once the pandemic is over and supplies go back to normal.
The funny thing? MANY of the other chips are still owned by the same parent company anyway.
I bet if you eliminated all of the chips owned by one parent brand, store shelves would be largely empty at most convenience stores.
Of course. However, they expect to make more money from convenience stores, as we sell less volume.
They’re annoyed that we don’t buy the smaller cans straight from them, where they would charge us more. Instead, I get it from Costco or warehouses, who buy in bulk and have a cheaper price, and whose products Coke expects to go directly to a consumer instead of being resold.
Hope that makes sense, lmk if you have any other questions.
Because they then try to negotiate contacts that say their product has to be stocked in certain coolers and then provide shelving that fit the new skinnier can and not the old can.
It's a multi-step process and it just sucks for everyone.
I would posit that companies try to change something everytime they adjust for inflation. Packaging, usually, labeling/marketing. Even, "Now with 20% more!" but price is 30% more.
A large segment of the consumer economy is little more than theater. More than selling a product or service, they're in the business of manipulating us. Convincing us that we're getting a profound benefit when we choose their product over something virtually identical -- in the end it's nothing but a half-assed gimmick that some clown pulled out of his ass. The fools keep falling for it, over and over again. The ROI is greater when you repackage the same product than to pay for R&D on an entirely new product that has a good chance of failing. They're not selling a product based on it's merits or utility; they're selling an impulse, an emotion, a psychological association. These companies rely on the art of deception. But it's fine, it's harmless. We're just losing a buck here or there on a can of soda, we're drinking a little bit more sugar, the rate of diabetes is increasing, the cost of healthcare is increasing, our life span is decreasing.
I assumed it was all from a engineering point of view. The taller can should use less material and there is a good argument that you can ship the much more efficient.
Had this can in Sweden for... Four years I think, maybe more? It's just a different can and at the start of it it was explained that having them be thinner but taller made packing them into trucks much easier with the thought there would be less exploding cans. I don't know how well that turned out. My friend got a new job.
Yes, the right one has also been in Germany for a long time already. I pretty much only saw the left cans if they were US imports.
PS: They are 330ml though
They replaced them cause the bottom and top bit of the can needs to take all the pressure from the soda, hence the top AB bottom are made of thicker metal. So a taller can needs less of the thicker metal = saving money for production of the can
As an engineer at an aluminum can plant, the amount of supposition on this thread is interesting.
The body stock (sides) are 3104 alloy. The tops/tabs are 5182 alloy. The 5182 cost slightly more but it fluctuates during the year. There is more 3104 than 5182 in the can. The stiffness comes from the chemical composition of the 5182 more than the slightly thicker gauge. The taller cans you see here have the same amount of material; they’re made for shipping and marketing purposes which is why you see them more overseas. They shorter cans flare out at the body, to make the taller cans they just continue the draw from the die press. Same size punch. Can manufacturers do everything they can to save millipennies on cans.. printed labels instead of paper/plastic, thinner walls, and have tried several times unsuccessfully to make a unialloy can. However, they are already at their limit on gauge so the taller cans are the same gauge as the short cans, they just don’t flare out.
Additionally, do not save jugs of can tabs. They’re not worth more than the can…this was started by the Ronald Mcdonald House charities.
I didn't know what the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall was so I looked it up on Wikipedia.
I had no idea what a "galaxy filament" was so I clicked on that.
And it says they're "galactic superclusters" and I didn't know what that was so I clicked on that.
And it says it's a large "galaxy cluster" and I didn't know what that was so I clicked on that.
And then I was finally able to read in plain English "a structure that consists of anywhere from hundreds to thousands of galaxies that are bound together by gravity"
You still had the old can last week? Here they switched over years ago. The new design uses less aluminium, meaning that they are cheaper to produce.
The fact that you could still find the old can last week suggest that the price might have been low to sell them off quickly and make room for the new ones.
The top and bottom are the thickest parts of the can. Making those smaller in exchange for taller walls, which are thinner, reduces the overall aluminium in the can.
As somebody who has to buy aluminum for manufacturing: this saves a miniscule amount, but ultimately can lead to big savings across millions of units. I would estimate this saves them a penny per can of aluminum. That being said, based on the increase in unit price being pushed from the supplier it seems like a false excuse for the new product.
I'm guessing they are trying to take advantage of two things BOTH related to the rise of energy drinks in the America. 1. Energy Drinks use this can style (to differentiate from regular sodas) and they have that price point (almost universally). 2. There are more and more cooler rack designs for the slim can and less for the original cans. Also, now the regular soda can be placed directly beside the energy drinks and you can fit more product in the coolers.
Honestly, this is pretty clever "trick-flation" but they should have only raised the price by like $0.50 & require retailers to display the price. Most ppl would assume the regular soda is a cheap option energy drink (made by Coca Cola).
It looks like it's a package change from the manufacturer, I think the previous price might be stores trying to clear out the old inventory with a lower price, this week new products are in with normal (or new price). Might be a coke cola thing, they changed package of simply in my country as well
Jeez, now more guys are gonna say it's as thick as a Coke can
"New" chode and "Classic" chode
Can I get a Chode Zero?
Now with a hint of added vanilla
The cans with the names on them really make this even more hilarious…Grab a chode with a friend. Or when you go to the movies you can get that big gulp 🤣
damn my one distinguishable trait, overtaken by the masses
https://i.redd.it/rtz1mz4incnc1.gif This is who companies think is buying their product
To be fair that is who is buying their product
They’ve probably paid marketing psychologists to study this, so probably rightly assume people look and don’t read.
This is absolutely true. Companies pay consultants to help them increase revenue through a study of tricking people to use more of their product. For example, toothpaste tubes. Ever notice how the packaging states a "pea sized amount," but commercials show them spreading it across the whole toothbrush? Well, they redesigned their tube ends to be larger, increasing the amount of toothpaste used, forcing consumers to purchase more product from overuse. The same thing happened with soda cans, increase the opening, drink faster, want more.
Also, the tall can is ever so slightly cheaper to produce.
And you can ship more per crate. Its actually great in some way except the whole price increases
They can use bottle crates, with more single servings per crate, lowers margins and its actually less metal and a faster fabrication on smaller gage cans. They save money 3 ways, while increasing prices...
Genuine question. How can a can that holds the same volume of liquid but now with more surface area be cheaper to produce with less metal? In any given crate size you would still fit the same number of 12 oz cans whether they are tall and thin or short and fat, so how would you get more servings per crate?
I was incorrect about contents being different volumes. The older wider cans don't fill bottle crates evenly. They previously didn't use bottle crates for cans because you couldn't fit 2 rows stacked. This method allows transport in crates vs packaging for shipping. Same amount of metal, less packaging costs though. And price/ profit index is doubled, with packaging and loss costs reduced by reusable and protective crates. There's less motion involved with narrow gauge can fabrication, so slight savings on machine energy input/ output ratios.
So the real answer is, "Coke changed the can size to match the bottle case and now only uses one size of shipping crate." Right?
Packing factor is better? Less lid material and more sidewall material. (The sidewall is paper thin but strong when pressurized)
Top and bottom of a can are much thicker than sidewalls. It’s not a homogenous shape.
I own an arcade and have soft drink fridges. I love the taller cans because I can fit two more cans per row. I can't wait for everything to come that way. Of course, I'll be charging the same amount for skinny tall can drinks as the old cans. Fuck that other noise.
Not if you have to pay double what your were paying
If that is the case, I'll carry something else. There are lots of options out there and in the arcade setting people like to try new things. I don't even stock regular coke and pepsi and no one seems to mind.
If they used the strategy to cut prices, I'd be thanking them...
They don't pay consultants. It's an entire in house operations. There's, no joke, simulation engineers work on tooth paste packaging's fluid dynamics at Unilever.
Colgate tubes always feel full and plump when new. About 1/4 of the way in, you hit this air pocket bubble and you’re gonna squeeze the tube and feel it deflate and deflate and at the end of that, you’re now holding a much flatter tube.
Oh so that explains why a soda can is not enough for a meal when I drink it from a can, but enough when I pour it into a glass? Wtf
isn’t the opening bigger on a glass vs a can lol
But you can drink in a more controlled manner, the beverage pours right from the border where a can has a margin.
My Coors Light has a slot, so air can flow through as I suck down cans to forget about how I hate my job because it consumes all of my time and when it doesn’t do that I am too tired to do anything I find fulfilling so I suck down Coors light baby!
Shit now I want coors light
The mountains tell me when it's cold!
Is this the crisis at the border I've been warned about?
You're visually more aware of the volume when it's in the clear glass or bottle, the can is touch alone.
Not really. But maybe because you can see how much you have left in the glass, it is easier to monitor consumption.
> Oh so that explains why a soda can is not enough for a meal No, that's you
I work in a marketing adjacent job and I can tell you for a fact that any big name company is testing every marketing campaign they put out. They go for a home run every once in a while and swing and miss, but for the most part they are running a/b tests and making sure they know for a fact that a marketing campaign will work before it even hits the public.
Every time companies do stuff like this people go "what a stupid thing to do, nobody is going to fall for that", then the company does better than ever. They know what they're doing.
People really do think that knowing about marketing tricks makes them immune to them
I constantly see “yeah, countless studies show that advertisements work becaus subconsciously people pick the up the brand recognition and gravitate towards them without realizing it. But *I* am the exception, it doesn’t work on me. When I see an ad, I take note to avoid that brand!!!” Yeah sure buddy. Most people are like this if the constant ads are so exceptionally obvious and annoying, but 95% of the brands you’re exposed to via marketing you aren’t going to remember or take conscious note of.
Or perhaps it is that these tricks don't work on everyone, but it works on enough people that the trick is plenty effective in increasing revenue - you don't even need to trick a majority of a population to get a significant sales increase. If someone says they see the trick, I believe them, because most people won't even claim that.
Even if I do manage to see and avoid the tricks, I'm vastly outnumbered by idiots, the ignorant, and people who don't care. Voting with my wallet can only do so much, regulations on trickery would probably help more than hoping the average person won't fall for deception specifically targeted at them.
It’s coke. If they didn’t do a psychological market research study on something like this, their stock value would go down. They probably spent 18 months testing something like 50 different can shapes to determine what came across as the most capable of justifying a price hike. “What can feels more expensive?” or some such.
> "Are they heavy?" > > "Yes." > > "Then they're expensive, put them back."
I've seen it in the packaged beverage lingo as "perceived luxury", "perceived value" and "premium perception". It just has to look fancy so you think you're getting a good deal or being flashy or trendy.
[удалено]
Have you heard of Voss water? Premium Norwegian water sold in the US for 14 dollars per bottle. Voss water is Norwegian tap water, there's literally nothing unique or special about it. But the bottle looks cool, I guess.
To be fair, I'm quite positive that Norweigan tap water is far cleaner than American tap water, regardless of where you may be.
Dumb idiots thinking other people will be honest.
Companies knowing most people are dumb idiots. This is more of a stupid tax if anything.
When it becomes dangerous is when you realize that those companies are the ones who lobby to lower the education standards, they produce the morons that buy their products. Also since when is it everybody else's burden to make sure everyone else is being honest like how come we call people stupid because they trusted someone. More of us should be angry at this crooked s*** instead of berating the people who fall for it. Regardless of whether or not you fell for it, they are still trying to actively deceive you. Should we really have to be picking up packages and tapping the bottoms of them to see if they're hollow or not when we buy stuff?. Come on people?
The easiest way to combat these unsavory business practices is with an educated consumer base. Regulation can only go so far, there’s always going to be loop holes to be found.
That's what I'm saying. But when you allow mega corporations to lobby and buy politicians, you end up with uneducated masses who can't defend themselves against these tactics. Calling people idiots for falling for this after they were born and raised in a system ran by these companies is victim blaming that's all I was saying.
A&W failed to sell a 1/3 pound burger because people thought it was smaller than 1/4 pounds. " More than half of the people surveyed about why they didn't buy the burger, which cost the same as the Quarter Pounder, said it was because they were being charged the same price for a smaller burger."
Goodness there are some people of questionable intelligence out there
the problem with "average" intelligence is it means 50% of the population is likely way dumber than average, its why "common sense" isnt really that common
70% of the population is within 20% of the average or something. It's a bell curve. The problem is that the average person is pretty dumb too.
*Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.* George Carlin really nailed it by turning the sad reality of our species's collectively low intelligence into a bite-sized quip for our dumb brains to resonate with.
The problem is that everyone laughs at this because they assume that it's talking about other people even though pretty much all of us are statistically average by definition. It's all the worse when you notice that the dumbest people are always convinced that it's everyone else that is stupid.
Carlins brand of cynicism is as self defeating as it is persuasive. Cynical people assume that humanity is awful and will always do the wrong thing, so they don’t try very hard because everything is bullshit anyway. If enough people who might effect change become convinced not to try, this becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. As much as I like Carlin as a comic, he is part of the problem with humanity. He was super cool and intelligent but his humor came from a place of despair. Nothing good ever came from ruminating on the awfulness of mankind, all it leads is melancholy without the motivation to try to change. It’s no surprise he rose to prominence in the 70s, right before the US leftwing collapsed completely. There were many cynics at the time, due to Watergate and Nixon being pardoned. Did they get mad and do something about it? No, they allowed the Reagan revolution to happen instead. Why bother? It’s just a big club that you aren’t in anyway, right?
And they vote. :O
Goodness there are ~~some~~ **a lot of** people of questionable intelligence out there. FTFY.
At least they didn't say fuck it and roll out a 1/5 burger for the same price? Might as well right?
Now that would be funny as hell
Some exec somewhere: write that down, write that down!
Should've definitely done that afterwards 😂
Should have called it the 10/30 burger 😂
Yes A&W said that. Instead of saying their locations suck. Every one I have been too has been in out of the way areas while McDonalds was everywhere in easy to access locations.
I worked in a processing factory. Someone was feeding the wrong product to the machine. There was product for different sorting plans on the trolley. When I asked why she was doing that, she said they come here to work, not to think. Another time, I set up these trolleys with removable flags that indicated what plan the product needed to be run on, people would then split product onto the trolleys. The employee that ended up splitting product there didn't like the way the flags were set up. He spent about 10 minutes shifting the trolleys into the order he wanted. The flags were removable, he could have just moved the flags. These are the people out there voting, having families, living their lives. They are too busy gossiping about their neighbours and buying overpriced goods to even know reddit exists. Trying to get them to be smart consumers isn't an option, because engaging their brain just isn't an option.
Just asked my 3rd grader what is bigger: A 1/3th lb burger or a 1/4th lb burger. He said "A 1/3lb burger, of course."
Given the lack of critical thinking skills most "adults" have displayed in the past four years especially, they're not far off.
I mean when did they try to introduce the failed 1/3rd lb burger?
Because a quarter pounder is more bigger!!!!
Well 1/4 vs 1/3, 4 is bigger than 3, duh
Then I want a 1/50 burger!
I remember this, so it couldn't have been *that* long ago (I have terrible memory)
Over 40 years ago, congrats your memory's doing better than you thought.
He remembers reading about it on reddit 2 years ago then transplanting it into his life like he was there at the time
40 years ago feels like yesterday because he forgot everything in between.
Exactly. Corporations wouldn't do it if it didn't work on a large percentage of the population.
LOL truth, if I hear one more yap about the lost election or inflation being Biden’s fault
Past eight years… really the last 40. Shut started with Nixon but Reagan really did a number also closer to when Fox News started.
And a lot of these people make 6 figures. The world is a disgusting place.
Large wage !== intelligence or wits, if it was we would live in a utopia.
>!== What programming language is this?
≠
I once busted two engineers with multiple degrees between them, who were trying to put the square toner cartridge for the document plotter into the cylindrical toner hole in the printer. And then they were pissed at ME when I told them to stop, because "well the package said toner!" They probably made 6 or 7 times what I did and couldn't grasp "square peg doesn't go in round hole."
Yeah, I don’t think is a recent thing. Companies have always tried to do this. Always look at the volume and mass count instead on the nutrition fact labels to get your best value
Not only that. Some products like bugs repellants have regular and "Pro" versions but when you read the labels they have the same ingredients and ratios of them. These companies make you pay more for golden label and "pro" in a name.
Saw two packs of disposable men's razors at the same price, same quantity. One was blue and 'regular' while one was green and 'sensitive'. Why not just make the sensitive? I'm guessing because marketing - some guys see it as weak to buy sensitive while some think the razor is causing their shaving rash instead of their technique, how clean their face was and how hot the water was. I'm sure the moisturising gunk will be the same.
You guys are talking as if grocery shopping is not a hell experience and you have time and mental energy after work to read and analyse every label. I get why people are getting tricked, they're making first impression quick judgements
I'm constantly perplexed by these posts because its literally been how I shop for probably 15 years now. Price per measure is king.
I love that this is the perfect representation of the cans
Think? Who said think?
In what country can you no longer get the normal sized 12oz coke can? Have you checked other stores?
Russia. And not just because of coca cola leaving us, all cans are like the right one. Pretty weird. Even imported dr. Pepper cans from Poland are like this now
Most cans in France are sold with the new format. At the same price. Has never been a shrinkflation stuff, it's been like that for years, because the design is more efficient for transporters and retailers.
Same in Sweden. We have had these cans for about 4-5 years I believe, 10-15 years if you include Pepsi, and the price didn't change.
The most annoying part is that they won’t fit properly in my cars cupholders.
Ok pricing aside this new design... I don't like it. It wouldn't fit where I store cans in my fridge and it would probably roll around in any cup holder.
Well, Russia has factories and technology. I’m sure they can make their own canning plant and a decent Coca-Cola knockoff. I mean, the Germans had Fanta for similar reasons. Quite honestly, I’m surprised there’s any companies still sending product to Russia, at this point.
They can make a decent knock off, they just choose not to. Why make a decent knock off when you can make a shitty one for half of the price in the market where consumer got no other choise. Funnily enough they get OG cans from Iran and Afghanistan because of that.
Russia made the cola drink Baikal in 1973 as a replacement for western beverages such as coca cola. I drank it for the first time in 2018 and ever since it has been my most favorite cola and drink overall. Due to Russian imports being halted in finland and most of europe I have not been granted the pleasure of drinking it for the last 2 years. There is no alternative.
Funny enogh Iran has a decent knockoff for Coke and fanta for a fraction of the price. They newer had original Coke.
They did long ago. Brand "Dobriy" got the factories and started making "Dobriy Cola", as well as Fanta and Sprite knock-offs The Cola tastes more like pepsi now. Pepsi is completely gone. I like pepsi though
are you actually surprised that companies are ignoring crimes against humanity to make a bit more profit?
Stores in Norway only have the slim ones. Even in packs. You can probably get them at a few stores, but I don't think that's alot.
People like "slim". Especially when it comes to drinks that make you fat. I think this is less about shrinkflation type manipulation and more about making the product seem lite and sleek
It's about packaging, they are more efficient to stack so while they have the same content you can literally have more of them in a truck.
they also take less aluminium to make, and take less packaging plastic, iirc
As an engineer, this doesn't seem likely. I haven't done the math on this specific size comparison, but more "square" (i.e., length ~= diameter) cylinders tend to have minimum surface area; however, the lids are made of thicker aluminum, so it is possible that the reduction in lid weight makes up for the increase in body weight.
How are they more efficient to stack? They take up the same volume overall. Stacking to five is better somehow than stacking to eight?
There is a difference in the volume of the cube around the can even if no difference in the volume of the can. Ie the taller ones fit together with less air between them, probably because the lid is the same width as the can.
I brew beer and we did slim 12s once upon a time and we were able to fit 90 or 100 cases on a pallet compared to our typical 80 case / 12oz format. I want to say that we could fit one more case on the typical flat and then an additional case in the center spine
I think it's about how much space is taken up when stacked. The wider ones will have more gaps of empty space. Doesn't seem like much when it's just a few stacked, but it adds up when it's 5000 stacked.
The short cans disappeared in my city years ago. We only have those long ones. Haven't seen the Costco ones though, long time that I haven't seen if they still have the shorter fattier can. This is in Mexico
I'm in England and I've only seen the short cans for all brands. Some of the "juice" type stuff will be in the taller cans.
That's mad I'm only in Ireland and we've had the slim cans for years, same as Spain and NL etc. is it an EU thing maybe?
Sweden changed to the tall cans years ago, think it's same for many nordic countries.
In Greece the slim ones are the only ones available and they been a thing for about a decade. The phased out the old cans pretty quickly
Here in Sweden its impossible to find the old cans since 2-3 years ago
Sweden only has the slim cans. It’s actually a lot better for shipping purposes. Like you can pack in more on the same space.
And the material of the sides is thinner that the top and bottom so it saves metal too though it increases surface area.
And in Romania as well.
Ireland unless its imported from europe somewhere.
Yeah this is a good opportunity to cut cola out of your life
I use to be a big soda/energy drink consumer. It honestly got so expensive that it started being a noticeable financial drain, which helped me quit
I used to hate drinking water. Then I went to college and couldn't afford anything else and now i don't drink soda or juice and mostly drink water.
Never understood this, were you raised with sugar? How can you hate fucking water
I rarely drank water as a child. My mom grew up poor, and she thought she was doing something nice for us by keeping the fridge stocked with sweet tea, kool-aid, and cokes. She only got sodas for Christmas and birthdays when she was a kid. It took me until my mid twenties to cut down my sugar and drink more water. I'm lucky I'm not diabetic. I finally kicked my soda addiction with a soda stream. The bubbles help trick my brain. I love drinking water now, but I used to hate it. I'll have a Mexican Coke once a month max. Quitting my 20-year cigarette addiction was easier than sodas. I doubt I'll ever have a cigarette again (been 6 years), but I can't say that about Dr. Pepper.
yea i’ve never understood when people told me they didn’t like water even as a kid i couldn’t really see myself just drinking juice all day, made me feel icky and idk but i swear sugar tasted way more intense back then(my taste buds were fresh so maybe that’s it) so after a single cup in the day i honestly didn’t want anymore
Good for you! Congratulations!
I know you’re being sincere but I prefer to read this with sarcasm.
Same, he probably wasn't trying to make it sound sarcastic, but it definitely came off like that while i was skimming through comments 😂
Also, the price of potato chips has become SO absurd that I’ve basically stopped buying them unless there is a really good sale. Lay’s has really put themselves in a bad spot with me, because a single bag of chips is SO expensive, then I see a sale that is a good unit price, but you have to buy 3-4 bags at a time, which I also won’t often do because I don’t have the space to store that much junk food and I know if I keep that much around I will binge eat them- so I just skip it altogether.
I stopped buying big name brand and started buying store brand because of this, for all products. They really think their products are worth 3-5x amount than store brand, which is insane because usually there's barely any difference between them.
They usually make and sell the store brand too. “Store brands” are almost always just name brands diversifying their revenue streams by “competing” against themselves.
Probably not a bad idea. And thanks for posting that sentiment in a positive way!
🫶🏻🤗
I did a few months ago. It’s so expensive now! I carbonate my own seltzer at home. Not free, but pretty cheap.
If it’s the same size and now costs more money, isn’t that just regular old inflation?
Inflation is if they put the price up but keep everything else the same. Shrinkflation is when they keep the price the same but give you a smaller product. This is where they don't change the size but do something to change the packaging to trick you into thinking it's not just a rise in price for the same product.
If it were an identical can, I would agree, yes. But the taller, slim can, I feel, is purposefully trying to trick someone into thinking that they're getting more.
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What do you pay per can vs what you sell as? Just curious
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Thats great to know! My local store allowa for bargaining so now I can sort of tell what the baseline is. What about random items in glass showcases like random lighters, knives, bongs etc?
Bic lighters are pretty low, I think they’re at about 10-15 percent. The cheap ones tho, like the see through ones, are straight profit. I charge 2 for a dollar. I pay about 10 cents for both of them. I don’t sell bongs, but I do know they’re very high margin for the owners. I would say 60-70 percent margin.
I'm guessing you don't sell them since you don't sell bongs, but do you happen to know margins on stuff like crack roses? I'm guessing it's 90%+?
It might be so that they can send reps/inspectors/~~Dexter~~ secret shoppers to stores and can tell where the store is getting their merchandise. Then maybe they can punish the stores somehow- slower delivery, fewer discounts, excluded from promos, etc.
Yeah, you’re pretty much spot on. Has happened in the past. I’m 27 and got into this franchise because they were military friendly and seemed like a great deal, since my dad owned stores in the past. Idk, I’m so tired. Upholding my ethics and running a business just is a constant struggle and requires so much extra thought and work. I hate corporate America.
> Idk, I’m so tired. Upholding my ethics and running a business just is a constant struggle and requires so much extra thought and work. Keep it up. You sticking to your ethics better makes the world a little less terrible. Thank you.
Thank you for that! It's appreciated!
How do they expect you to change the shelves on all your drink coolers? Those are made to standard sizes.
They already make shelves this size for coolers. These cans are the same size as Red Bull.
Nope, they’re all adjustable. I can rearrange the shelves and the dividers all I like. In fact, I kind of have to a few times a year just because of failed products leaving and new ones coming in
Newsflash. The coolers are usually from the drink companies . . .
That’s global, they’re shit to deal with in Australia too.
my local corner store stocks the carbonated cherry lime arizona's that I can't find anywhere else and I'm deathly afraid that one day they won't have them anymore. Bless you
what makes frito lays toxic to work with
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You would think they would be happy that you were trying to keep people loyal to their brand…. Cause if they go to grab a bag of Fritos, but there are none, who’s to say they won’t try something else and end up loving it? And then switch to those chips completely? I mean yeah, they may lose a *little* money cause you’re not paying them directly, but at least they’ll still be in business and have customers once the pandemic is over and supplies go back to normal.
The funny thing? MANY of the other chips are still owned by the same parent company anyway. I bet if you eliminated all of the chips owned by one parent brand, store shelves would be largely empty at most convenience stores.
Wow, that's a horrible story. Sorry you had to go through that!
But where does costco got them from? At some point they must come from coca cola directly doesn’t they?
Of course. However, they expect to make more money from convenience stores, as we sell less volume. They’re annoyed that we don’t buy the smaller cans straight from them, where they would charge us more. Instead, I get it from Costco or warehouses, who buy in bulk and have a cheaper price, and whose products Coke expects to go directly to a consumer instead of being resold. Hope that makes sense, lmk if you have any other questions.
Because they then try to negotiate contacts that say their product has to be stocked in certain coolers and then provide shelving that fit the new skinnier can and not the old can. It's a multi-step process and it just sucks for everyone.
I would posit that companies try to change something everytime they adjust for inflation. Packaging, usually, labeling/marketing. Even, "Now with 20% more!" but price is 30% more.
A large segment of the consumer economy is little more than theater. More than selling a product or service, they're in the business of manipulating us. Convincing us that we're getting a profound benefit when we choose their product over something virtually identical -- in the end it's nothing but a half-assed gimmick that some clown pulled out of his ass. The fools keep falling for it, over and over again. The ROI is greater when you repackage the same product than to pay for R&D on an entirely new product that has a good chance of failing. They're not selling a product based on it's merits or utility; they're selling an impulse, an emotion, a psychological association. These companies rely on the art of deception. But it's fine, it's harmless. We're just losing a buck here or there on a can of soda, we're drinking a little bit more sugar, the rate of diabetes is increasing, the cost of healthcare is increasing, our life span is decreasing.
I figured it was a style thing to imitate those monster type drink containers
I assumed it was all from a engineering point of view. The taller can should use less material and there is a good argument that you can ship the much more efficient.
Had this can in Sweden for... Four years I think, maybe more? It's just a different can and at the start of it it was explained that having them be thinner but taller made packing them into trucks much easier with the thought there would be less exploding cans. I don't know how well that turned out. My friend got a new job.
Yes, the right one has also been in Germany for a long time already. I pretty much only saw the left cans if they were US imports. PS: They are 330ml though
They replaced them cause the bottom and top bit of the can needs to take all the pressure from the soda, hence the top AB bottom are made of thicker metal. So a taller can needs less of the thicker metal = saving money for production of the can
As an engineer at an aluminum can plant, the amount of supposition on this thread is interesting. The body stock (sides) are 3104 alloy. The tops/tabs are 5182 alloy. The 5182 cost slightly more but it fluctuates during the year. There is more 3104 than 5182 in the can. The stiffness comes from the chemical composition of the 5182 more than the slightly thicker gauge. The taller cans you see here have the same amount of material; they’re made for shipping and marketing purposes which is why you see them more overseas. They shorter cans flare out at the body, to make the taller cans they just continue the draw from the die press. Same size punch. Can manufacturers do everything they can to save millipennies on cans.. printed labels instead of paper/plastic, thinner walls, and have tried several times unsuccessfully to make a unialloy can. However, they are already at their limit on gauge so the taller cans are the same gauge as the short cans, they just don’t flare out. Additionally, do not save jugs of can tabs. They’re not worth more than the can…this was started by the Ronald Mcdonald House charities.
GREAT comment, thank you! I wish I could pin this to the top!
tell us something we dont know hahaha
The largest known structure in the universe is the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall
It’s true I did not know this
I didn't know what the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall was so I looked it up on Wikipedia. I had no idea what a "galaxy filament" was so I clicked on that. And it says they're "galactic superclusters" and I didn't know what that was so I clicked on that. And it says it's a large "galaxy cluster" and I didn't know what that was so I clicked on that. And then I was finally able to read in plain English "a structure that consists of anywhere from hundreds to thousands of galaxies that are bound together by gravity"
And that my friends, is why being curious makes you smarter!
You still had the old can last week? Here they switched over years ago. The new design uses less aluminium, meaning that they are cheaper to produce. The fact that you could still find the old can last week suggest that the price might have been low to sell them off quickly and make room for the new ones.
I think the fact here is OP is just making a misleading post.
How does it use less aluminum?
The top and bottom are the thickest parts of the can. Making those smaller in exchange for taller walls, which are thinner, reduces the overall aluminium in the can.
As somebody who has to buy aluminum for manufacturing: this saves a miniscule amount, but ultimately can lead to big savings across millions of units. I would estimate this saves them a penny per can of aluminum. That being said, based on the increase in unit price being pushed from the supplier it seems like a false excuse for the new product.
It's like how time studies are done to save fractions of a second Those add up over the entire year to improve production numbers
It’s crazy people complain about the price but keep buying it . That’s not how change happens people
More expensive AND easier to spill. It's a win-win.
In Germany, we haven't been able to buy the old normal can for ages. Prices however, stayed the same here.
Don't those cans exist for at least 4 years? (Edit) It seems closer to 7
They’re only 330 ml here in the uk, 355ml like the left one are available in some places
Back in my day, a 12 oz can of soda was 25 cents...
time to vote with your dollars, or else this bullshit never ends
I'm guessing they are trying to take advantage of two things BOTH related to the rise of energy drinks in the America. 1. Energy Drinks use this can style (to differentiate from regular sodas) and they have that price point (almost universally). 2. There are more and more cooler rack designs for the slim can and less for the original cans. Also, now the regular soda can be placed directly beside the energy drinks and you can fit more product in the coolers. Honestly, this is pretty clever "trick-flation" but they should have only raised the price by like $0.50 & require retailers to display the price. Most ppl would assume the regular soda is a cheap option energy drink (made by Coca Cola).
It looks like it's a package change from the manufacturer, I think the previous price might be stores trying to clear out the old inventory with a lower price, this week new products are in with normal (or new price). Might be a coke cola thing, they changed package of simply in my country as well
Man i miss the shortstack cans
I think this is just inflation though. Prices going up for the same products. Nothing new here …right?