topic Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again in Community Chat

Shrinkflation Hits Again

Foxxee — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 05:49:48 GMT

Shrinkflation hits the nation AGAIN: Honey Bunches of Oats slashes amount of cereal in boxes by 17% and Angel Soft toilet paper cuts sheets from 425 in a roll to 320.

Daily Mail

"Manufacturers have continued to lessen portion sizes to keep up with record inflation in the US, it has been revealed - a recently surfaced phenomenon that's been dubbed by experts as 'shrinkflation.'

Notable brands to 'shrinkflate' their products in recent months as the American dollar continues to lessen in value include Charmin, Bounty, and Gatorade, which have all been downsized in recent months but have retained their previous prices.

Now, as bottom lines continue to tighten, more companies are starting to follow suit - with a slew of toiletries, a popular breakfast cereal, and the country's leading brand of instant coffee being some of the latest products to fall victim to the practice.

Joining the parade of downsized products is cereal stalwart Honey Bunches of Oats, which has seen the weight of its standard box, previously 14.5 ounces, lessen to 12 ounces - a reduction of roughly 17 percent.

The 2.5 ounce decrease accounts for roughly two bowls of cereal.

However, only the keenest of shoppers may find themselves aware of that fact, with - apart from the the product's new, labeled net weight and the fact the box is slightly more narrow - the packages are virtually identical.

The price for the product, which varies from store to store and state to state, has largely remained the same.

Another shrinkflation casualty to emerge in recent weeks was instant coffee provider Folger's - whom has faced various lawsuits alleging that it is impossible to get the full number of cups of coffee promised on each canister.

Last month, the company elected to dramatically drop the number of ounces displayed on those canisters - previously 51 ounces, now 43.5 ounces - while keeping the number of cups that it says each package will yield, at 400, the same.

When confronted about the 7.5 ounce reduction per canister last month on social media, which should see a decrease of more than a dozen cups of coffee, the company cited a new, more efficient bean pressing technology as to why the cup count has not been changed.

'We have employed a new, roasting technology that makes the most out of every bean — resulting in lighter-weight coffee grounds that deliver the same taste you love across the same number of brewed cups,' the company wrote on Twitter in response to a customer complaint.

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

hckynutjohn — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 06:12:05 GMT

@Foxxee

I do not place any blame on manufacturers. For me that blame lies at the feet of those that created it, and that is not Kellogg's/General Mills or other similar businesses.

The buck is suppose to stop somewhere, but that somewhere seems to be a daily moving target.

hckynut 🇺🇸

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

Foxxee — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 06:49:57 GMT

@hckynutjohn wrote:
@Foxxee

I do not place any blame on manufacturers. For me that blame lies at the feet of those that created it, and that is not Kellogg's/General Mills or other similar businesses.

The buck is suppose to stop somewhere, but that somewhere seems to be a daily moving target.

hckynut 🇺🇸

@hckynutjohn

Agree to some extent. I believe some will take advantage of the situation.

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

Tinkrbl44 — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 06:54:28 GMT

Just proof that NO, it's not your imagination .....

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

hckynutjohn — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 07:27:45 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
Just proof that NO, it's not your imagination .....

@Tinkrbl44

Before my wife and I made our pact, I did as much shopping as she did at that time. Wasn't in the 1970's when Mortgage rates were 19%, it was after that, close to Recession, period of time.

I brought my calculator and when purchasing items at the grocery store! I checked ounces and prices. Bigger package did not always equal better price. Since I also cut out coupons, which I used, I bought what was cheaper per ounce. Less in the package, I found another brand, or did not buy it.

This downsizing is nothing new, it has been going on for years, even a few decades, and it had nothing to do with the inflation rate. Just sayin!

hckynut 🇺🇸

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

Desertdi — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 07:37:09 GMT

@hckynutjohn wrote:
@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
Just proof that NO, it's not your imagination .....

@Tinkrbl44

Before my wife and I made our pact, I did as much shopping as she did at that time. Wasn't in the 1970's when Mortgage rates were 19%, it was after that, close to Recession, period of time.

I brought my calculator and when purchasing items at the grocery store! I checked ounces and prices. Bigger package did not always equal better price. Since I also cut out coupons, which I used, I bought what was cheaper per ounce. Less in the package, I found another brand, or did not buy it.

This downsizing is nothing new, it has been going on for years, even a few decades, and it had nothing to do with the inflation rate. Just sayin!

hckynut 🇺🇸

@hckynutjohn I was born during WW2.....so I know something about shortages...."coupons" for food, shoes, gasoline, etc. di

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

hckynutjohn — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 07:51:33 GMT

Hi @Desertdi

I celebrated my 83rd birthday yesterday. I too was alive during WWII. Was born and grew up in Public Housing Projects.

My mom didn't own a car/she didn't get coupons for shoes or food. If they were offered(I was too young to know), my mother would never(too proud) take them. She worked 6 days a week, 2 of which were till 8:30pm.

The only thing she got from any entity was qualifying for Public Housing, BUT. If she made more than $23 a week? Out we would go, my 3 older sisters and myself.

hckynut 🇺🇸

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

Desertdi — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 08:05:24 GMT

@hckynutjohn Happy Belated Birthday!!!

Yeah.....I remember going on foot with my Ma to the grocery store ....each of us dragging a wooden shopping cart. I actually witnessed women fighting on the grocery store floor over butter, sugar, and meat. di

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

Foxxee — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 11:29:18 GMT

@hckynutjohn wrote:
@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
Just proof that NO, it's not your imagination .....

@Tinkrbl44

Before my wife and I made our pact, I did as much shopping as she did at that time. Wasn't in the 1970's when Mortgage rates were 19%, it was after that, close to Recession, period of time.

I brought my calculator and when purchasing items at the grocery store! I checked ounces and prices. Bigger package did not always equal better price. Since I also cut out coupons, which I used, I bought what was cheaper per ounce. Less in the package, I found another brand, or did not buy it.

This downsizing is nothing new, it has been going on for years, even a few decades, and it had nothing to do with the inflation rate. Just sayin!

hckynut 🇺🇸

@hckynutjohn

Most definitely. Shop cost per ounce.

However, these manufacturers are being very deceptive. Even the article said in most cases no one will notice in the store the packages contain less, are thinner, smaller, or in Folgers, the beans weigh less....but the price is the same.

They fear increasing their prices, keeping the same amount of content and package size, shoppers will look for lower prices, store brands a good possibility. Store brands are probably deceiving us too, but still they will be lower priced than brand names.

What all this amounts to is shoppers buying more over time because they run out sooner than expected.

Not all of us will be deceived, though. I noticed ice cream packages were smaller when they first downsized.

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

AngelPuppy1 — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 09:44:08 GMT

I believe they think we are too stupid to notice that they are decreasing the amount of product in the boxes, bags, etc.! For instance, just take a bag of chips or cheese curls or whatever and just hold it up --- most of the bag is empty! Boxes of things -- they don't make the box smaller because people would say --- hey, they are cutting the amount of product I am getting. They make the box the same size, but the amount of ingredients inside is nowhwere near what it was. Oh, yes --- you are really fooling us ---- duh........

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

phoenixbrd — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 10:53:47 GMT

@hckynutjohn Not a daily moving target for me. I know squarely where the buck stops and started. Small and large businesses, as well as the American people are experiencing the results.

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

phoenixbrd — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 11:00:04 GMT

Happy Birthday @hckynutjohn 🎂

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

Group 5 minus 1 — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 11:15:18 GMT

We always check amount in package. Yes, they have gotten smaller.

I know who I'd like to blame,but.........

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

frenchie — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 12:08:27 GMT

One pound of bacon is now 12ozs. I could't believe this one.

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

SloopJohnB — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 12:14:12 GMT

And the only thing worse than shrinkage, with all due respect to George Costanza, is shrinkage AND the price going up. For instance, I buy the Wise brand of small individual potato chips. For the longest time it had been 22 packages for $7.99. About a month ago, I notice the box now contained only 20 packages. Ok, fine, as it still was the same price. I went to Publix yesterday and now it's $9.99. What can ya do? 😣

But yes, for the longest time, the companies have been making smaller packages, where at first glance they look the same until you read the label, i.e. Clorox, OJ, ice cream, sleeves of Ritz getting shorter...

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

Spurt — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:11:28 GMT

Here's another shortage coming---

Beware: Movie Theaters Could Be Facing a Popcorn Shortage

The next time you catch a movie, you may have to order Raisinets from the concession stand instead of your favorite salty snack. As "Food & Wine" reports theaters across the country are bracing for a popcorn shortage.

Like many businesses, the popcorn industry has been subject to the ups and downs of the COVID-19 pandemic. Farmers struggled to sell their surplus popcorn when movie theaters were closed in 2020, and now they face the opposite problem. Following a record-breaking Memorial Day weekend at the box office, popcorn suppliers are struggling to meet demand.

Moviegoers returning to theaters isn't the only problem contributing to the shortage. Issues that are rippling through the economy—such as the rising cost of materitals, a lack of truckers, and supply chain disruptions—have impacted popcorn sales.

Even if the crop itself is plentiful, sellers may find themselves unable to move the product. The scarcity of certain goods, like grease-proof paper bag liners or the glue used to seal canola oil containers, makes it difficult to process the kernels and sell them to customers. Without paper bags to hold the popcorn, some theaters are offering metal or plasrtic containers and charging customers extra to make up the cost.

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

SloopJohnB — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:09:14 GMT

@frenchie wrote:
One pound of bacon is now 12ozs. I could't believe this one.

@frenchie Crazy, right? What I find even more ironic is a 12 oz "pound cake.".

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

Spurt — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:10:33 GMT

@hckynutjohn

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

Kardi — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:55:00 GMT

I can live with fewer chips or cookies. That being said, no one enjoys inflation. What I find though is when I dig out a recipe that calls for a 12.5 oz. can of something and find the can now only contains 10 oz. I dealt with this recently and it made a difference in the finished dish. 😠

Re: Shrinkflation Hits Again

ThinkingOutLoud — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 14:02:53 GMT

The irony is is that the inflation is the result of policies to save the environment so all the extra packaging goes against that to some degree. All of this is so ridiculous.