Super Big Gulp fan says 7-Eleven duping the public out of 4 ounces

[enzo1]

One thing I admire about Austinites is how they're all over any wrongdoing that comes along, large or small. Or, in this case, super.

Take Paul Sunby, 50, a biologist with an environmental consulting firm who is all over 7-Eleven for "trying to dupe people" over the actual size of its Super Big Gulp fountain drink. Sunby said the convenience store has reduced the size of the drink from 44 to 40 ounces in a sneaky way — or as he put it, "cleverly, quietly, and diabolically." Meanwhile, he said, the price remains the same: $1.50.

Paul, who is married to one of our business reporters, Lori Hawkins, said he noticed this transgression last summer when the store stopped selling Super Big Gulps for a couple of months, then started up again with a new cup. The old cup used to say Super Big Gulp on it, along with the 44-ounce size. But the new cup, while saying Super Big Gulp, included no size info, Paul said.

"They still say Super Big Gulp, but they no longer had the 44-ounce size printed on them, making people think they're the same thing," Paul groused.

Sunby said the new cup just didn't feel quite as large as the earlier version, so he decided to measure. Was the wool being pulled over the eyes of the big soda-pop-drinking public?

"The first time, unofficially, I just took the new cup and filled it with water up to the top, and poured it into a legitimate 44-ounce cup from Exxon Tigermarket, and noticed that it didn't fill it up all the way," Paul said. "It was a quarter-cup short. So then I actually filled it back up and poured it into a measuring cup to get the full measurement, and determined it is a 40-ounce cup."

Sunby said he wouldn't be upset if it just said "40 ounces" on the side of the new Super Big Gulp. "They still called it a Super Big Gulp, when in fact it's no longer," he said. "It's somewhere between a Big Gulp and a Super Big Gulp. It's a Not So Big Gulp. To me, the Super Big Gulp is deceased."

Sunby thinks this is important because, as he wrote in his e-mail, the term Big Gulp "seems to have a place in the fabric of some segments of society."

"The Super Big Gulp is an American institution, in my mind," he said. "How many truckers have made it across I-10 because of the Super Big Gulp?"

I called up 7-Eleven corporate to try to get to the bottom of this. I spoke to a woman named Keisha, who said she couldn't give me her last name. I asked her if 7-Eleven had changed the size of the Super Big Gulp without informing the public. She looked it up, then said, "It says it has been changed to 40 ounces, this information I have in my system." http://www.statesman.com/news/local/super-big-gulp-fan-says-7-eleven-duping-1161022.html

[djmcmath]

.... Let's face it, a 10% reduction in what people are drinking is probably a good thing. Can people seriously get riled up about this?

Dan

[ben parrish]

gezus...really??

[porsche4life]

Everybody has to stand for something.....

[A930Rocket]

It's a one example of how companies repackage/resize their product to sqeeze more profit out of each unit. Ben going on forever.

I bought a box of grahme (sp) crackers the other day an the box was 1/4 too big, whereas before, you had to pull the product out. Now it falls out.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

try buying 2 quarts of Tropicana orange juice.

try buying a pint of Häagen-Dazs.

prices are up on both of those products after they reduced the size.

a lazy public gets what it deserves. it is easier to just pay more for less, I agree. anyone try the new flavor of Brawndo?

[GH85Carrera]

Look at rolls of toilet paper. The width seems to get shorter every few years. In a few more years TP rolls will be an inch wide at this rate.

[strupgolf]

What gets me is the gov't keeps saying inflation is stagnent, but in reality it is going up each month. The price is the same, but less product, whatever you want to call it, thats inflation.

[Rick Lee]

Never had a Big Gulp in my life and I probably don't drink enough soda in a year to fill one of those cups. My reward is every six. mos. my dentist tells me I have great teeth and it's obvious I don't drink much soda.

[Porschephile944]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

It's a one example of how companies repackage/resize their product to sqeeze more profit out of each unit. Ben going on forever.

I bought a box of grahme (sp) crackers the other day an the box was 1/4 too big, whereas before, you had to pull the product out. Now it falls out.

The box might have gotten bigger but the product definitely got smaller, I noticed this summer while making smores and something just didn't seem right

[SGB]

Sugar is in 4 pound bags now too. Caveat emptor.

[Christien]

Originally Posted by enzo1

"The Super Big Gulp is an American institution, in my mind," he said. "How many truckers have made it across I-10 because of the Super Big Gulp?"

More like, 'how many truckers DIDN'T make it across I-10 because of having to pee four times after drinking a Super Big Gulp?'

Another to file under "who gives a *****" and "way too much time on his hands".

[cgarr]

They tried to change the box count on tampons once. Need I say more!

[herr_oberst]

I bought Nutter Butter cookies just last night, (for the first time in ages).

There is a LOT less peanut butter-like substance between the two cookie-like concoctions.

Plus, they taste different.

I'm sure the package is smaller so the plastic tray fits what's left of the product.

[dhoward]

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

try buying 2 quarts of Tropicana orange juice.

try buying a pint of Häagen-Dazs.

prices are up on both of those products after they reduced the size.

a lazy public gets what it deserves. it is easier to just pay more for less, I agree. anyone try the new flavor of Brawndo?

But it's got electrolytes...

[David]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

I bought Nutter Butter cookies just last night, (for the first time in ages).

There is a LOT less peanut butter-like substance between the two cookie-like concoctions.

Plus, they taste different.

I'm sure the package is smaller so the plastic tray fits what's left of the product.

They taste like crap now

[Joe Bob]

All the morning news shows have done reports on it. Soap, OJ, Haagen-Dasz, all have reduced sizes while staying priced the same....at least for now. Of course when raw material prices drop, they'll pass it along.

[VINMAN]

Less product and most in totally wasteful packaging. Is it really necesary to sell 15 potato chips in a plastic container with a screw off lid?? A bag isnt enough??That burns my azz!

Ive noticed just about every product I consume has reduced in size. Yogurt used to be 10 ounces, then they dropped it to 8oz. now its 6oz in a 8oz container.!

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Joe Bob

All the morning news shows have done reports on it. Soap, OJ, Haagen-Dasz, all have reduced sizes while staying priced the same....at least for now. Of course when raw material prices drop, they'll pass it along.

It's like the 1970's all over again, without Billy Beer.

[Gogar]

I'm with Shawn; that guy would have a tizzy if he ever went to buy one of those 14oz 'pints' of Haagen-Dazs. or a 12oz. "pound" of coffee.