This Reddit user suggested Coca-Cola is using 'trickflation' to pass sky-high costs to US drinkers — here's what it means and the evidence provided

Despite inflation, Coca-Cola’s global sales rose by 7% in the last quarter of 2023. Meanwhile, CNBC said that its North American volume fell by 1%.

However, according to CNN, the slimmer soda cans are gaining in popularity for an entirely different reason: manufacturers are looking for innovative ways to easily stock (and transport) more product — and the slimmer cans are seen as less cumbersome.

The soda tax effect

Many Redditors scoffed at the 123% increase in price for a can of Coke. But they gave @inasimplerhyme the advice that they may need to cut the pricey soft drink out of their life.

Granted, Coca-Cola didn’t increase its prices to help curb people’s soda-intake habits, but it just may have the unintended “soda tax” effect. This means that there’s an extra tax on sugary drinks, according to the Tax Foundation.

The problem with a soda tax is that, while it may help decrease the sugar intake of consumers, it also reduces economic consumption. Coca-Cola’s price hike may mean that people end up spending less on their products — as the company noticed back in July 2023.

Consumers may ditch soda altogether, or drink cheaper, off-brand alternatives as a way to cut costs. Either way, this brings down tax revenue for the government, the Tax Foundation explained.

However, the soda tax doesn’t always work. As another Reddit user wrote: “It’s crazy [that] people complain about the price, but keep buying it. That’s not how change happens.”