I just payed $5/12-pack of Diet Dr. Pepper at my local kroger store.

Why is soda/pop so expensive?

Soda to me is like a coffee lover's coffee. They need it in the morning, afternoon etc.

<insert huge amounts of hfcs ranting and derails>

Because it's profit. People pay it. Deal with it.
Also, don't buy 6packs/etc. Just get bulk soda, or syrup and a carbonator machine.

There are some timesdeals of 2 12-packs for around $5 or $6 total, but what you said is indeed the typical regular price.

Might work out more efficiently for you to just buy a bunch of bottles though (I often see these on sale for 99 cents/64 oz).

Location, competition, etc are factors in price.

Usually though you need to wait for a holiday to come around. Thanksgiving, Xmas, Easter, 4th of July, and Labor Day are usually holidays where pop drops in price down to around $5 a 24 pack. Just keep an eye on it and buy it when it gets that low :)

All drinks are pretty expensive compared to water (and even some water is expensive).

Yea, water gets pretty expensive if you aren't using tap/filtering it yourself. Canned soda seems to be a lot worse though, I only buy it when the store is having a special like 4 for 10 or something.

Dealing with it isn't the answer. People will either buy it or not. They don't have to have it. I don't see why they raise prices on things that you don't need. It's foolish. No wonder why the economy is in the gutter.

I only buy pop from SaveALot or department stores including Walmart, Target, K-Mart, etc. Don't ever buy it from Kroger, JayC, CVS, or Wal Greens unless it's on Sale or you will pay big time.

Do yourself a favor and don't drink it. I know you probably think I'm a treehugger but just drink water. It's not only healthier but also cheaper (exceptions apply, but filter it yourself and make sure the water quality in your area is good).

If you're used to drinking soda water will most likely taste boring and distasteful. However, once you drank water for two weeks and then taste soda again, you will be surprised by how disgusting soda all of the sudden tastes. You can taste the chemical, unnatural, artificial, bubbly flavor that comes straight out of a laboratory designed to hook you forever.

I don't mean to piss anyone off but seriously, try water for two weeks - your body will thank you for it. Even the diet stuff is crap, it's just additives and chemicals replacing sugar who's effects' aren't fully known yet.

This is why it is expensive: http://investing.money.msn.com/investments/stock-price/?symbol=US%3AKO ;)

All kidding aside, I don't view soda as particularly expensive or inexpensive. It is more expensive than bottled water, but it is cheaper than many other non-alcoholic drinks out there.

We may complain about $5 per 12-pack, but that is only 41.67 cents per twelve-ounce can. *shrug*

-mike

This is why it is expensive: http://investing.money.msn.com/investments/stock-price/?symbol=US%3AKO ;)

All kidding aside, I don't view soda as particularly expensive or inexpensive. It is more expensive than bottled water, but it is cheaper than many other non-alcoholic drinks out there.

We may complain about $5 per 12-pack, but that is only 41.67 cents per twelve-ounce can. *shrug*

-mike

Some people buy $5 ice cubes, just putting that out there..

As someone who goes through 10 liters of soda pop a week, I buy the generic store brand stuff for anything from $0.50 to $0.75 per 2 liters.

I've been drinking the store brand soda pop for so long I actually prefer it to the brandname soda pop now.

All drinks are pretty expensive compared to water (and even some water is expensive).

and both are usually more expensive then gas

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2011/03/gaspriceschart.jpg

So that the companies can sponsor huge sport events & teams.

Go to costco, you'll get about 5x as much for the same prices as Kroger.

it is a luxury item, deal with it.

It does not sound like you waited for a deal. Also, it is more pricey to buy cans than it is liters. You may also want to consider off brand sodas like Big K.

If you were me id just cancel the soda out as youre going to gain weight drinking it "most likely".

Why do you think it is expensive? The minimum hourly wage in USA is what, $7.25? So at $0.42 per can you are working less than 4 minutes to buy one.

Great way to look at it ;).

I'm on Coke on a daily basis (and coffee too, if you're curious about my health), so I know a bit about their prices.

Here in Toronto (ON, the 51st State of America), just TIME your purchase, and you can easily get 2x 12-pack's for $5.99 (now that U.S. and Canadian dollars are frequently on par) at e.g. Shoppers Drug Mart every few weeks. And that's all year round.

As a matter of fact, I usually stock up about 3 - 4 packs with every purchase; and perhaps once or twice a year, I have to shell out like $3.99 for 12 when my "ammo" runs low.

It's not really about money. Paying at regular prices is kind of stupid because you are basically "subsidizing" smart consumers.

And non-addicts may not know, but 2L bottles are not exactly your best buy, unless you finish the whole thing in one shot. I for one need "fresh" Coke evey dose. 710mL bottles are probably the only alternative.

Drink beer instead. In some cases it's cheaper. ;)

Errm ever tried starbucks sparkling pops? Things are like $4/pop

The cost of soda and many other goods such as coffee can be closely attributed to rising commodity costs. When costs go up for a provider the downstream effect it has always translates into higher costs for the consumer. Things to consider are price of sugar, aluminum (cans), polyethylene terephthalate (plastic bottles for 20 oz, 1 liter, & 2 liter bottles, natural sugar, sugar in the raw, and corn (for soda's that use high fructose syrup).

Generally speaking, for companies like Coke, the price of these commodities rising generally leads to a drop in margins of their profit (hence a decline in share price/value). It would have a similar impact to the consumer to increase those margins again. Naturally, price increases happen over time to a consumer, but impact a company immediately if they don't participate in the futures market for hedging their positions.

If you stop buying soda rich people have to stop using their personal planes and multi million dollar cars.

If you stop buying soda rich people have to stop using their personal planes and multi million dollar cars.

Because people in the soda industry are the only ones with personal planes and million dollar cars? This does not make much sense...

Marketing, greed and gullibility.

Bottled water is the biggest coup of all. It gets sold at the same price as pop without any additional ingredients. Consider that bottled water is often just tap water, subsidised by the taxpayer, sold at prices far exceeding gasoline.

There was a time when people did not walk around all day clutching a bottle looking like babies with a baby bottle.

Because people in the soda industry are the only ones with personal planes and million dollar cars? This does not make much sense...

Yes it does, it's an analogy that can be extended to multiple examples of hyped up marketing creating demand far beyond utility.

Consider that stars are only stars because people are willing to stump up the money for a ticket or dvd.

It's expensive to your health, too. Just saying.

Marketing, greed and gullibility.

Bottled water is the biggest coup of all. It gets sold at the same price as pop without any additional ingredients. Consider that bottled water is often just tap water, subsidised by the taxpayer, sold at prices far exceeding gasoline.

There was a time when people did not walk around all day clutching a bottle looking like babies with a baby bottle.

Just business.. there not forcing you to buy from them, you can quit "I did a few years ago", I probably only have 20 cans of soda a year nowadays. It is so bad for your health too!

Drink beer instead. In some cases it's cheaper. ;)

Yeah, if you
a) rob it
b) friends give you some
c) you make it out of your bath tub.

LMAO! That was funny :).

Because people in the soda industry are the only ones with personal planes and million dollar cars? This does not make much sense...


I know, why are we giving certain people all the money and all the adoration its not that they have won any great battles (or have they). Instead wasting money on ‘pop’ give the money to charity and drink water. You will not suffer and you feel better because you have helped someone who needs help rather that a ‘fat cat’.

Good way of looking at it. I make it a point to save up my donations through the year and donate it to Make a Wish, Phoenix Children's Hospitals and The AZ Humane Society durring the winter holidays. Last year I ended up donating over 500 toys, you should have seen the face on everyone. I also make it a point to be active in volunteering.