It feels like it happened without any warning but Coca-Cola has reduced the volume of its 500ml bottles — yet the retail prices for both drinks remain the same.
A few weeks ago the new, smaller plastic bottles of fizzy drinks hit the shelves.
The bottles are a new shape and noticeably smaller with much less sugary drink inside.
This change is also slowly taking place with Sprite, Stoney and Fanta drinks which are a product of the Coca-Cola company.
Coca-Cola spokesperson Asyia Sheik says: “We are rethinking many of our drinks and package sizes around the world to reflect the changing tastes and dietary preferences of our consumers. This includes providing smaller, more convenient packaging.”
When asked if the new bottle sizes is in response to more restrictive sugar taxes, Sheik says: “We are responding to a global trend toward portion control in single-serve packs and are executing this strategy globally.”
Sheik said the drinks company is keenly aware of what their customers want: “We will continue to monitor consumer trends and continually assess our various pack and size options. This includes the possibility of offering different pack sizes across different brands and variants.”
Some Twitter users have their own theories about the change in bottle size.
I am sure sugar tax advocates have something to do with this
Major pressure on companies to sell smaller portions of unhealthy beverages. https://t.co/o56mMkihzc
— Katharine Child (@katjanechild) October 24, 2017
This 'practice' predates sugar tax. I remember the same thing happening with tins of beer and soft drinks. 340ml became 330ml around 2008
— Andrew Glenister (@amglenister) October 24, 2017
Ok but why is @CocaColaAfrica selling these new 440ml drinks at the same price as the 500ml?
Where is the logic? #cocacola #maths
— 15kryptonite (@15kryptonite) October 30, 2017