Good news on the smaller portion front

It was always a good joke to point out that Perrier was more expensive than petrol. The joke just got better. Coke in a small 7½ oz. can costs US$8.50 a US gallon and, better yet, 50-140% more per ounce than Coke in an old 12 oz. can. The full article is here. Money quote:

You’ll save money by buying 12-ounce cans and pouring a third or more down the drain.

But of course, nobody does that. Just as nobody buys a large portion because it is cheaper per bite and doesn’t eat it all. Marion Nestle has this to add.

I once asked a group of retailing executives why the cost of smaller size containers was so high (surely the containers don’t cost that much. They said: “if customers want smaller portions they ought to be willing to pay for them.” Oh.

Or, to put it another way, “Screw you, consumer.”