Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!think!harvard!seismo!brl-tgr!wmartin From: wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) Newsgroups: net.consumers Subject: Price of soda Message-ID: <11495@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Thu, 11-Jul-85 12:16:29 EDT Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.11495 Posted: Thu Jul 11 12:16:29 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 13-Jul-85 10:59:38 EDT Distribution: net Organization: USAMC ALMSA Lines: 17 We all know that name-brand sodas are vastly ovrpriced; after all, it is nothing but flavored & treated water, with the cost of the canning or bottling being rather low per-item. The recent "cola wars" have seen a lot of price-based advertising for these colas, with 2-ltr bottles for 78 cents with no limit (Coke), cans at two 6-packs for the price of one ($2.89), etc. For those who want this stuff, these price breaks have been a welcome relief from the usual idiotically-high prices. Unfortunately, I expect that the prices will soar back up as soon as all this fuss dies down. My question is: can anyone suggest methods that the ordinary single consumer can use to force the bottlers to keep the prices at the current lower levels indefinitely? Just "refusing to pay" the higher prices will NOT work; enough other people will just go ahead and buy the stuff anyway. Maybe holding the children of all bottlers as hostages...? Naah, that doesn't work too well... Any suggestions?