Foreword: hopefully this relates to HN as it is business/price-setting related, which could be related to startups.
Well, a 4-pack of 250 ml Red Bull cans costs around five dollars (at Walmart). That is an average price of $1.25/can.
A 24-pack of 250 ml Red Bull cans costs around 42 dollars (http://www.amazon.com/Red-Bull-Energy-Drink-Sugarfree/dp/B000MTM0WK). That means 42/24 = $1.75/can.
At Walmart also, a 12 pack of 250 ml Red Bull cans costs 20 bucks. That is 20/12=1.66 per 250 ml can.
So, 1.25 (4-pack) < 1.66(12-pack) <1.75(24-pack).
The question is: WHY?
Shouldn't a properly run pricing strategy encourage customers to buy more, not discourage them? What's going on exactly?
2. Although larger quantities are usually cheaper by the unit, sometimes that is not true. Maybe the store is running low on inventory for the larger one, or high for the smaller one. Maybe they cut the price on the smaller one to act as a loss leader - I know drinks are often in this category.