From toilet paper to yogurt and coffee to corn chips, manufacturers are quietly shrinking package sizes without lowering prices. It’s dubbed “shrinkflation,” and it’s accelerating worldwide.
In the U.S., a small box of Kleenex now has 60 tissues; a few months ago, it had 65. Chobani Flips yogurts have shrunk from 5.3 ounces to 4.5 ounces. In the U.K., Nestle slimmed down its Nescafe Azera Americano coffee tins from 100 grams to 90 grams. In India, a bar of Vim dish soap has shrunk from 155 grams to 135 grams.
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I first noticed it in toothpaste. The stuff we use used be 4 ounces in a tube, now we're down to 3.4 ounces.
Same thing with store packaged meat - I buy stir fry beef for my world famous MexiFornia carne asada tacos because it's leaner, plus it's easier to dice. I used to buy one package and we'd have enough meat left over for a small lunch burrito the next day. Now I have to buy 2 packages of beef.
Would you possibly share the recipe? Hard to beat world famous!
ReplyDeletePotato chips and the like have been shrinking for years. Soon they will be sold “by the chip”.
ReplyDeleteYou pick up a box of Triscuits and it about fits in your back pocket. They've been playing these tricks for a little over a year now. Anybody who keeps track and pays attention even a little bit sees it right away.
ReplyDeleteThe most expensive ingredient of toothpaste is marketing.
ReplyDeletecereal boxes are so thin now they won't stand up by themselves.
ReplyDeleteAlways always always buy by price/unit (or weight) not price on the box. It's amazing how many times the bigger box isn't the better deal. Most people can't do math. Don't be them.
I remember when a 3lb can of coffee had the full 48ozs.in it.Now they're 39ozs.. They've been playing these games for years now
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of "Kleenex", not only have they decreased the quantity, they've also decreased the square inch size of the tissues and the thickness of them inside the box. The box measures 9"L x 4 13/16W x 3.5"H. The tissues inside are 8" square. I buy the store brand. A few years ago the count inside was 200 sheets. Now they're down to 165 sheets.
ReplyDeleteNemo
OJ & lemonade etc used to be 64 fl oz. Then 59 fl oz. Now check it out: 52 fl oz.
ReplyDeleteWell, I just made it home from WinCo and mostly hit the bulk food section. 25# pinto beans $19. 25# red beans $28. 25# long grain brown rice $21.
ReplyDeleteJiffy corn muffin mix (makes sweet cornbread) .38 cents a box. Bought 48.
10# 80/20 ground at $3.98 per. Also loaded up on a few pounds bulk gravy mixes and pastas that you scoop by the pound#. A few flats of canned foods, potatoes and some paper products set me back $305.
Adding this to what’s already stored away and my family of four ain’t starving this year or next.
Jay in OK
In the late 1970s, Hershey achieved some notoriety by doing this. I'm not sure if that was the first mfg do to that. However, it seems the practice has greatly picked up speed. And why not, given the economy is swirling faster at the drain.
ReplyDeleteCope used to be 1.8 oz, then 1.6, now 1.2. The size of the can hasn't changed. It used to be packed down in the can, now its 'fluffed'.
The way the .gov crap sacks count inflation reduction in size or quantity means 0 inflation. That 52 OZ OJ is a unit that costs what 64 OZ used to but since you are getting a "unit" for the same price then the price hasn't increased.
ReplyDeleteMarketing and Packaging Expert in the bedroom: "It's just the current fashion, sweetheart, it's called a shrinkrection. I'm still attracted to you. Plus we should be using the metric system like the rest of the world. Measure it in centimeters and it's MUCH longer!"
ReplyDeleteShrinkflation is happening in politics too. We now get lower IQ less value pollies but we now pay far more for them. eg Biden.
ReplyDeleteWell, actually the Chi Coms are paying more for him.
DeleteWell, now we know why Americans are getting so much thinner these days.
ReplyDeleteYuk, yuk.
Seriously, 'shrinkflation' has even hit Q-Tips, for Pete's sake. There is slightly less cotton on each end, and it does not stay put as well as it used to. FJB with a rusty crowbar. Twice.
Even condoms have shrinked.
ReplyDelete@Luis8Inches
Nothing new, been happening since the 70's. Diminishing returns though, there are products now that the packaging costs far more than what it contains...and no matter how small the amount sold gets, it's still needs to be in a box, bag, jar, bottle, or can...
ReplyDeletePropane:
ReplyDeleteBy the gallon -- a 'five-gallon' bottle is full at 4.2-gallons.
By weight -- a 'twenty-pound' bottle holds fifteen pounds.
Go to the feed store. 50 lbs of chicken feed store is now 40. Same for sweet feed for cow
ReplyDeleteA variation on this theme is what Benadryl did years ago. One day the recommended dose weren't from one teaspoon to two teaspoons.they kept the package size and price the same but diluted the product 100%.
ReplyDeleteMy late mother noticed it in the 70's during carters Term when one pound cans dropped to 14 ounces (or less)
ReplyDelete