Community Chat

[novamc1]

If you've noticed you're getting less of a product but not paying much more, that's shrinkflation, and many product manufacturers are doing it in virtually all retail goods categories.

Their costs are going up for raw materials but  they don't want to steer away customers by pricing the product higher, so the packaging shrinks.

There are interesting stories from Washington Post and other major media lately, interviewing consumers and companies, including Costco, about the shrinkage.  One fellow claimed even his cat notices the downsize in the amount of the canned catfood he's eating.

Expect the $4.99  price of Costco's rotisserie chicken to go up, according to Costco.

[catter70]

I think that's been happening for quite a long time-ice cream, cake mixes, some canned goods, sugar and flour to name a few.

[proudlyfromNJ]

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@catter70 wrote:

I think that's been happening for quite a long time-ice cream, cake mixes, some canned goods to name a few.

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@catter70  Yes, you're right, it has been happening for a very long time. Not new.

[Krimpette]

I notice it also in toilet paper rolls getting narrower and narrower.

[CelticCrafter]

I would rather they just out and out raise the price instead of reconfiguring the packaging in the hopes that we won't notice.

[deeva]

I first noticed this about ten years ago.

 When a box of Kleenex tissues went from 200 tissues per box, to 175, to 160, and now it's 144. 

And Costco's Kirkland brand toilet paper used to contain 36 rolls, now it's 30.

[Love my grandkids]

@novamc1  This is nothing new and has been going on for at least the last 3 years. At least.

[Susan in California]

Yes, I remember Andy Rooney, during his

segment at the end of every 60 Minutes show.

He brought out coffee, ice cream, and a few

other items that had been reduced in size, but

often looked the same. 

He was the first person

I remember mentioning this.

[Spurt]

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@catter70 wrote:

I think that's been happening for quite a long time-ice cream, cake mixes, some canned goods, sugar and flour to name a few.

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@catter70 

Yep, you are so right, its been going on for a while---ice cream bars sure have been shrinking, a bag of dry cat food used to fill 1 1/2 Lock N Lock containers, now it barely fills ONE, the number of chips in the bag have gone way down, and instead of 5 lbs of sugar its now 4 lbs....  And its only going to get worse..

[Zhills]

You can't run a "smaller size" in the same machines. 

They have to be re-tooled, new boxes, cans, jars, lids, labels, etc.  Upgrades are tax deductable and the Companies actually make more money, bottom line, by shrinking the product.  All politics!