Shrink-flation: Post your examples

[TonyR]

Thanks to the current WH Admin, we're all seeing prices go up and on items that appear outwardly to not have increased much but are, in fact, very deceptive. The manufacturers think we're all idiots (but some of us are) and instead of increasing the price, or in conjunction with it, they just decrease the quantity of product in the package. I heard others call it "shrink-flation" or the like.

I've noticed quite a few in the last year but only lately decided to start taking before and after pictures, thinking it would be interesting, and maybe a little fun, to see what others have noted. Below is an example of dishwasher pods that didn't increase its price much since my last purchase but decreased the quantity from 27 to 21, just enough so maybe I would not notice. They were wrong, it's a 24% decrease in quantity which correlates to the same percentage increase in price.

 

[eggsan]

I think Bounty is in the same boat. They should advertise sheets-per-roll, instead of mega-roll quantities. It looks like each rolls are in strict diet

 

[sebastiantombs]

Look at coffee. A "pound" can is as low as 12 ounces now.

 

[mat200]

Look at coffee. A "pound" can is as low as 12 ounces now.

11.3oz now in this can ..






and here's one at 10.5 oz ..

 

[gwminor48]

Literally "shrinkflation". I put out these suet cakes for birds. The price has gone up and I noticed it doesn't fill up the plastic container like it used to, notice the large gap on one side.

 

[TonyR]

Note that toilet paper is about 1/4" narrower than it was a couple of years ago AND the cardboard roll is getting bigger!
(as is my butt).

 

[sebastiantombs]

And the plys are getting thinner!

 

[gwminor48]

I just looked at a gallon of my paint and it says 123 ounces, a gallon should be 128 ounces.

 

[tigerwillow1]

I just looked at a gallon of my paint and it says 123 ounces, a gallon should be 128 ounces.

Trying to be an optimist, could the 5 ounce shortage be to allow for the addition of the colorant?

 

[EyeOfSauron]

Trying to be an optimist, could the 5 ounce shortage be to allow for the addition of the colorant?

Yep, I think that's is also a "Deep Base", used for certain colors which require more colorant.

 

[looktall]

This has been a thing for decades, certainly in Australia anyway.

The manufacturers typical claim is that due to increasing costs they could either increase the price of their product or reduce the size of the product.
So they reduce the size and maintain the same price.

And then a short time later they put the price up anyway.

 

[tigerwillow1]

I don't have a picture, but it's darn hard to find a half gallon container of ice cream any more.

 

[redpoint5]

You end up paying more in packaging costs as well, because a larger container holds more volume per surface area than a smaller container. So, more trash, less product.

The other thing I hate captured in the image is idioc claims like "25% more cleaning power!". In small print "compared to products with only 80% of the cleaning power" (do the math, it works out).

 

[Hans*2]

LOL

 

[Smilingreen]

Packaging has everything to do with if a product makes it on the market or if it is a major flop. Never mind how good the product is or isn't, how attractive is all the fluff packaging? Companies are now following Apples product packaging strategy. Very thick cardboard with compartmentalized components inside. They could have the worst product on the market, but if the packaging is pleasing to the eye, people will snap that shit right up.

 

[fergenheimer]

View attachment 174120

LOL

I chuckle when I see icecream in smaller packages. In the US, during the 70's, going to the metric system was all the rage. If we had shifted over, a half gallon of icecream would have become 2 liters or a slight increase! Now 50 years later with shrinkflation, we would be back down to a half gallon.

 

[fergenheimer]

I bought a two pack of wasp spray last month. When I put the cans next to the old cans on the shelf I noticed the difference.

 

[Sybertiger]

I bought Oxyclean from Sam's Club because it was on sale and because we were getting low. When I put the new box next to the old box there was a clear size difference. You guessed it, shrinkflation. Of course they slap on a NEW CONCENTRATED FORMULA bullshit label on the front. It's the same fucking formula assholes! And of course they aren't going with the LOADS label anymore because it'd be too obvious. Some "sale" huh?

 

[Ssayer]

Bot alert...

 

[Smilingreen]

I bought Oxyclean from Sam's Club because it was on sale and because we were getting low. When I put the new box next to the old box there was a clear size difference. You guessed it, shrinkflation. Of course they slap on a NEW CONCENTRATED FORMULA bullshit label on the front. It's the same fucking formula assholes! And of course they aren't going with the LOADS label anymore because it'd be too obvious. Some "sale" huh?

View attachment 174140 View attachment 174142

This is aimed at the young generation, where doing math in your head on the fly is not taught anymore. Yes, most of todays products are a majority of filler and very little active ingredient and mostly inert filler, but that is because the general consumer thinks that doubling the amount called for will fix whatever problem they have. There is a specific reason why what we buy today is the majority inert ingredients. We have dumbed down the new generation so they cant hurt themselves.