Spin-off: bye bye Pepsi?

[bcla]

I've never been in a Costco, but I have read they also tend to only carry higher end products. While they will likely be at the lowest price for that model, there often are lower priced versions available elsewhere.

For some items, Costco can have a huge range. However, there are a lot of categories where they'll just have one or two different brands. But it could be different in other categories. My example would be vegetable oils, where they do start of at the lowest price with basic, simple soybean/canola/corn oil. Maybe their house brand is the cheapest, then maybe a little more for a name brand. And then olive oil has the highest prices.

A lot of what they have is just their house brand and then one major brand. Like Kleenex and their own house brand facial tissues. When I was buying diapers, the only brands they carried were their own house brand and Huggies from Kimberly-Clark. So no Pampers.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Completely agree consumers have the ability, but stores need to start looking at what items simply are not or will not sell at the price point needed .... so why even stock something you might take a loss on? Stores make those decisions all the time - this is just a high profile decision that got media attention. I kudo the store.

The DDP is another example. All food items get a negotiated amount to reimburse the restaurants. When that amount is not high enough often the item gets dropped. The Pork Shank at Gaston's was very popular. Problem was that the DDP did not want to reimburse them enough and with so many people buying they were not able to meet their profit projections. It was better to drop the item and replace with a more profitable one.

The store doesn't have a clue that they won't sell. And in fact Pepsi has very little chance of not selling. Furthermore, you're not taking into account slotting fees. . This is a high profile decision that got media attention because the store deliberately made it such for the publicity.

 

[MillauFr]

The price of canned soft drinks at Costco has risen and they haven't exactly cut off Coke, Pepsi, etc. Soft drinks are the one thing where Costco actually has variety.

Costco has stopped selling beverages with high fructose corn syrup in their Seattle store. Hopefully it spreads. Just say no to high prices.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Pepsi itself I would not miss... Pepsi products, I definitely would (I love Diet Mtn Dew)

 

[Babs Johnson]

I used to prefer Pepsi but as grocery prices (and everything else) has increased substantially, I only buy what is on sale. A 2 liter of Pepsi or Coke used to be 79 cents and when the 12 packs were on sale, they'd be $2.50. Now, on sale a 2 liter is $2.50. I priced a 12 pack a week or so ago and it was $8.99. Florida just passed a law allowing Canada to import certain drugs. I'm all for anything to bring down these costs.

I haven’t seen 2 liter bottles or 12 pack cans for those prices in over 10 years. 99c used to be my limit for 2 liters and $3 for 12 packs but I’ve stopped buying those all together.

I’m a clumsy ox and would spill too many open cans or glasses. Now I buy 6 packs of resealable plastic bottles and replace the cap after practically every sip.

Due to kidney issues, I need to limit my consumption of colas, so I’m buying mostly diet orange soda. I can’t find the diet versions of either Coke or Pepsi orange (Fanta or Crush) so I buy Diet Sunkist orange which is a Canada Dry product here.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

The store doesn't have a clue that they won't sell. And in fact Pepsi has very little chance of not selling. Furthermore, you're not taking into account slotting fees. . This is a high profile decision that got media attention because the store deliberately made it such for the publicity.

In the words of Steve Urkel, au contraire mon frere [sic], remember that Carrefour is in Europe and Europeans will in fact NOT pay for something if it's priced too high. They simply won't tolerate high prices whether it's on Pepsi or other things. I once asked an Italian why it's so much cheaper to see concerts in Europe than it is the US and she replied that "because you idiots will pay those high prices, we won't." She had a point and that is why I'm seeing Taylor Swift in Warsaw Poland.

 

[RedAngie]

Two Carrefour stores opened in the Philly area in the late 80s or early 90s and neither lasted more than two years. I suppose the US wasn’t quite ready for such huge stores back then.

The one in South Jersey was subdivided into 4 other stores. Those have changed over the years and I think the current lineup is Kohl’s, Marshalls, Dollar Tree, and a large furniture store.

 

[GAN]

Carrefour (a global supermarket chain based in France) just announced that they will stop selling Pepsi products in 4 countries because of significant price hikes. It is estimated that this may happen in the USA as well. This is an interesting tactic to battle rising grocery costs.

So what if Pepsi ceased to be sold? Would you care? What do you think of the move by Carrefour?

So they're going to dump Pepsi because of their price hikes. And when they hand 90% of that segment to Coke, they expect Coke not to take advantage of the situation???

 

[HopperFan]

NOTE: France most popular soft drink is COKE by far, and Pepsi has a very small market anyway.

The store doesn't have a clue that they won't sell. And in fact Pepsi has very little chance of not selling. Furthermore, you're not taking into account slotting fees. . This is a high profile decision that got media attention because the store deliberately made it such for the publicity.

The store made their decision and I'll leave it up to them, not people on the internet. I'll leave it up to the company if it was a good business move. Making it news was a good thing if it can help wrangle some of these greedy companies. I only wish all end consumers would be so committed to not buying these overpriced products.

What's an RC?

Been answered but I think something many don't realize is that you can walk in to grocery/dining establishments in different regions and neither Coke or Pepsi are in the soda fountains or if they are on the shelf there is minimal (and expensive) because neither are the "cola" of choice. When we first moved back to NYC from Atlanta I was shocked and sad that most restaurants didn't sell either. They served RC and more regional sodas in addition to bottled "craft" kind for a ransom. We had to wean ourselves off Coke because it was so expensive in the grocery compared to Atlanta. We'd wait for a big sale, buy a few 12 packs and ration them over time. It felt like we stepped back in to time that it wasn't available.

We just can't assume that Pepsi and Coke are a top brand EVERYWHERE or that soda is even a drink of choice. While Coke is the top soda in France, there are many local brands that are listed as more popular than Pepsi.

 

[sam_gordon]

I used to be a MAJOR Pepsi drinker. From my teen years until my 40s, Pepsi was my drink of choice. I'm talking 2-3 20oz bottles a day minimum. One day I decided to quit cold turkey. My occasional soda now is Root Beer, sugar free. And by occasional, maybe averaging 2-3 a month.

If I was still drinking Pepsi and the store I shopped at didn't carry it, I'd go somewhere else. I figure it's up to the store on what products they carry. They can choose for any reason they want to carry/not carry whatever product.

 

[Chili327]

I used to be a MAJOR Pepsi drinker. From my teen years until my 40s, Pepsi was my drink of choice. I'm talking 2-3 20oz bottles a day minimum. One day I decided to quit cold turkey. My occasional soda now is Root Beer, sugar free. And by occasional, maybe averaging 2-3 a month.

If I was still drinking Pepsi and the store I shopped at didn't carry it, I'd go somewhere else. I figure it's up to the store on what products they carry. They can choose for any reason they want to carry/not carry whatever product.

Probably saved yourself a lot of money in medical bills right there.

 

[jimmymc]

I've definitely been drinking less soda and waiting for deals over the past few years. Rather than stop selling it, for things like Pepsi or junk food, I would just keep raising the prices to see what people will actually pay. People were willing to pay $10/12 pack in Hawaii, and I bet they'd continue to in other places.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I've definitely been drinking less soda and waiting for deals over the past few years. Rather than stop selling it, for things like Pepsi or junk food, I would just keep raising the prices to see what people will actually pay. People were willing to pay $10/12 pack in Hawaii, and I bet they'd continue to in other places.

Considering that everything is more expensive in Hawaii, I don’t know if that’s a fair litmus test! And it’s certainly not France or Germany. People just won’t buy it.

 

[jimmymc]

Considering that everything is more expensive in Hawaii, I don’t know if that’s a fair litmus test! And it’s certainly not France or Germany. People just won’t buy it.

It's not a perfect comparison, but I think the idea is just let supply and demand do its thing. Raise prices, fewer people buy, Pepsi is either forced to accept fewer sales or lower the price.

Now with staple foods I disagree, there needs to be some kind of intervention to stop distributors from raising the price of flour or beans. But with junk food, I think Pepsi will learn how much the French and Germans actually like their products.

 

[Genie+]

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[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

Another problem I have in Philly is the stupid beverage tax per oz (1.5 cents per ounce...it adds up). I refuse to pay it. I have gatorade and redbull (both for DH) on subscribe and save shipped to our work so I can avoid it. And I buy my once or twice a year case of gingerale at BJs outside the city limits. It is a significant price increase over and above the already out of control prices. It doesn't affect my consumption of sweetened beverages, but very much affects where I spend my dollars.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Another problem I have in Philly is the stupid beverage tax per oz (1.5 cents per ounce...it adds up). I refuse to pay it. I have gatorade and redbull (both for DH) on subscribe and save shipped to our work so I can avoid it. And I buy my once or twice a year case of gingerale at BJs outside the city limits. It is a significant price increase over and above the already out of control prices. It doesn't affect my consumption of sweetened beverages, but very much affects where I spend my dollars.

I think NYC was trying to do this in an effort to curb the obesity epidemic.

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

I think NYC was trying to do this in an effort to curb the obesity epidemic.

It's dumb. Allegedly supposed to support early education programs especially pre-K. No one can explain where this extra money is actually going and it's in the hundreds of millions since it started.

If I want to drink a soda, I'm going to drink one. I'm just not paying this city's ridiculous and wasteful government extra to do so. If you want to combat obesity then charge an obesity tax and leave the rest of the adults alone. Yes, I realize that's a ridiculous suggestion and I don't actually think they should charge it, but the argument that this is to curb obesity is just ridiculous. I can guarantee you that not a single pound has been shed in response to this. People with means and vehicles purchase outside the city and people who can't leave the city are stuck paying more.

***ETA- I'm not directing my rant at you. I realize it may have come off that way. I just quoted your post so my reply had some context. Sorry about that!

 

[HopperFan]

It's not a perfect comparison, but I think the idea is just let supply and demand do its thing. Raise prices, fewer people buy, Pepsi is either forced to accept fewer sales or lower the price.

Now with staple foods I disagree, there needs to be some kind of intervention to stop distributors from raising the price of flour or beans. But with junk food, I think Pepsi will learn how much the French and Germans actually like their products.

It is supply and demand working. Stores are customers too, and these stores have opted to stop buying it.

Why would they want to stock something they think they won't sell or make enough profit on ... when they can stock other things they can sell well?

 

[jimmymc]

It is supply and demand working. Stores are customers too, and these stores have opted to stop buying it.

Why would they want to stock something they think they won't sell or make enough profit on ... when they can stock other things they can sell well?

Maybe they have been raising prices and it has stopped selling, but that isn't what I got from the story. It sounded like more of a protest move than people not buying.