Coca-Cola to introduce mini 7.5-ounce cans in US convenience stores

By Jessica DiNapoli NEW YORK (Reuters) -Coca-Cola is introducing mini 7.5-ounce single-serve cans of some of its sodas in U.S. convenience stores early next year, hoping cash-strapped and calorie-conscious consumers will be attracted to the smaller, cheaper drinks. Later this year, Atlanta-based Coke will also introduce glass bottles of Coca-Cola soda sweetened with cane sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup, said Joel Bishop, the company's president of commercial leadership for its North American operating unit.  President Donald Trump said this summer that Coke would introduce the cane sugar-sweetened fizzy drink. Coke has seen choppy demand for its sodas in the U.S., with much of its sales increases coming from price hikes rather than volume growth. A pullback in spending by Hispanic consumers had been partly to blame. The new single-serve mini cans are aimed at getting more consumers to try Coke, Bishop said. "Affordability and recruitment are what we're trying to do," he said. "There's not a lot of under-$2 offerings." The suggested retail price for the individual mini cans is $1.29. Each one is 90 calories, versus 240 calories for a 20-ounce plastic bottle, the company's most popular offering in convenience stores.     Coke Zero Sugar, Cherry Coke, Sprite, Fanta and other new flavors will be offered in mini cans, Bishop said. Diet Coke will also be in the single-serve cans in areas of the U.S. where the product is popular, he said. Larger packs of mini cans are available in grocery and big box stores like Costco and Kroger. For years, U.S. consumers have sought out so-called "Mexican" Coke that uses cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, saying they preferred the flavor.  Interest in the option has grown as Trump's Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has blamed high fructose corn syrup for playing a role in chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.  Medical professionals, however, recommend limiting added sugar in diets without identifying a significant difference between high fructose corn syrup and cane sugar. (Reporting by Jessica DiNapoli in New York; Editing by David Gregorio and Andrea Ricci)

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