Zero Hedge
The oldest trick in the retailer book is back.
We have previously written about shrinkflation – the “creative” masking of higher prices whereby retailers sell a materially lower amount of products for the ‘same’ price, covering up what is often a significant price increase on a “per unit” basis More
Leave it to the globalist corporations to hide what your lying eyes see, soaring prices. And it is not cheap to retool a factory to make difference size products, anything to protect their agenda.
Yes, milk and orange juice moved to 59 oz. ‘half-gallons’ 10 or more years ago. Then they changed to 52 oz several years ago. I was excited that Trader Joe’s orange juice was still 64 oz. – but then a couple of years ago they gave in too. Just raise the damn price and give me a half-gallon!
I can’t think of a better word to describe our current culture, a lessening or a diminshment of veracity, courage or integrity in our leaders, a diminshment (or disappearance) of justice and accountability in our judicial process, of responsibility, diligence and honor within our own citizens. The majesty of our great nation and our history, lessened by those that see it only as racist, patriarchal, and rapacious, willing to destroy it wholesale over a misguided notion that this time socialism can really work. Just as long as white people are kept out of the rebuilding process.
My favorite is packing a bag of chips with 75% air.
They don’t put air in potato chips they put hydrogen. It keeps them fresh
Use to be there’d by 5 quarts in an ice cream bucket, not that buckets down to more of a 3/4 quarters bucket and not nearly as handy as a multi-purposer.
I’ve been noticing the Raisin Bran boxes getting thinner as well. There’ll come a point where the flakes in side are stacked into single columns (then they’ll reduce the number of columns after that).
There’s a legit reason for this. It’s to protect against the chips being crushed during shipping and storage until eaten.
Pringles has another solution but it requires making inferior chips all exactly the same shape…
My Freshman year coffee was $.025 a lb. Coffee companies raised the price next year to $0.30, Press gave ’em hell. My Sr year the 16 oz can became a 15 oz can. When I came home from Nam the 16 oz can was only 12 oz! a “shrink” of 25% in 7 years. And it was $0.75! Which even if it were still a pound would have been an increase of 200%!
I am kuso old I remember what WIN was an an acronym for?
hint. it is very much related to what happened 60 years ago.
Shrinkflation is a crime. I paid for one American president and all I got was a half-witt !!!
The did this to Zest soap a few years ago. They made the bar curvier to hide that it was about an ounce lighter.
Dunkin donuts made the holes larger too.
I’ll admit to eating Pringles on occasion.
I find it useful to shake the container, listening for the sound of chips damaged by rough handling during shipment.
Now they put dimples in the bottom of jars and my big tell is when they redesign the packaging to make it look nicer as they usually give you less product at the same time.
I thought it was the cold water.
JPM – it’s Nitrogen, not Hydrogen.
The one I like is raising the “advertised price” to high levels and then have the 50% OFF SALE.
Even higher levels off if you raise the initial price high enough. High end jewelry stores famous for it…
Needless MarkupI mean Neiman Marcus, Tiffany, C D Peacock, etc., etc. You pay a lot for that little blue box…I knew a guy who owned a hamburger joint. The soda company can in and told him the price was going up, but not to worry were suppling you with smaller sized cups. Tapered and the bottom was up higher into the cup. So the customer got less but didn’t know it.
Ever heard of the term “a fifth of whisky?
It used to be sold by the quart. Then they got the idea to deform the bottom upward to reduce the internal volume while keeping the bottle the same size.
They called it a “fifth” of a gallon.
I am surprised Gatorade still has 32 oz bottles.
They also have 28 oz & 20 oz bottles.
All during the Trump years Gatorade 32 oz was a dollar or less.
Since *biden was forced in, Gatorade is now $1.25.
All grocery prices are creeping up.
By the end of the year I expect 25% increases overall.
Dadof4-
I’m saying the bag got smaller and the air got bigger. lol
Less chips!
And it’s funnier because the damn chips are already crushed when I get to them.
Even the chips are thinner.
I’m surprised nobody mentioned the one we’ve been thru a couple of times…
Coming to a gas station near you…Gas shortages and a resulting spike in prices!
Needless, but created by democRATz!
Why do they keep doing the “5 for $5” or “2 for $2”?
Just write $1 ea. I know, stupid people think they’re getting a deal, but shit! lol
If I had a nickel for every shrinkflated purchase, I’d have 4 cents for every shinkflated purchase.
I hear it’s even hitting porn: they’re casting for guys with smaller penises.
Look at an old cookbook from 50 years or so ago where a recipe requires a 16 ounce can of tomatoes, which became 15, 14, 12 or whatever the current size.
Another related article on container size reduction.
https://www.rather-be-shopping.com/blog/product-sizes-keep-shrinking/
It’s sold by weight of the chips.
You get what they say is in the package.
My point is: It’s not meant to deceive you. Criticizing their marketing is one thing, but the “air” space in the bag is a legit need.
If you don’t like them thin, that’s a whole `nother thing.
Selling you less weight for the same old price is a legit gripe. The protective “air” space? Not at all.
Condoms have been getting shorter and shorter for the same price for the past couple of years.
Oh, wait… it think it might be because of the enlarger I bought on eBay in 2012. Never mind.
Bryer’s Ice Cream looks like all others, but it’s less than a half gallon. Don’t forget canned vegetables that went from 16 to 14 ounce cans years ago.
“Now with 25% less!” Sounds good, if you’re an idiot….
Almost fifty years ago I worked as a grocery store stock boy. Whenever they wanted to move a product, they would have us stack them up in a big display and hang a “3 for a dollar” sign. We had to re-stack the display every night, never mind that they were previously 25 cents each. As a whole, people are not nearly as smart as we give them credit for.
Dadof4-
Oh FFS. let go of the “air” comment. I know products need built in protection. I don’t know why you’re arguing with me about air but I’m actually commenting on the ‘shrinkflation’ and me commenting on “Air” isn’t about the science of it. It’s the again, shrinking of the product at increased price.
LET THE AIR GO. lol
Have you noticed the “Family sized” bags? That’s my point. Compare them to what they used to look like.
Labeling a what used to be medium bag a FAMILY size bag is ridiculous.
The only person who doesn’t get how funny it is, was born after the Clinton era.
And the thinness of the chips- think back to how Lays chips used to be compared to the oily, salty, transparent shards we get now.
In the words of a customer at the grocery store (when I got the chips from a top shelf down for her) “All that money and it ain’t nothin’ but air. Look at this. *Squeezes bag to where the chips actually sit*”
We laughed. I didn’t hound her on how the air was a fucking buffer.
You get less for more.
I’m on the right thread, right? lol
Seriously. I’m done. This got so stupid.