I Am Tired of Shrinkflation, When Will It Ever Become Reasonable?

hasher22 on 13/11/2023 - 19:14

Yes I know it's been happening for decades, it's a common practice and obviously it's working cause people still buy it but for the minority like myself, I try to minimise or not even buy it at all.

Aldi is no stranger, I purchased their Dairy Fine milk chocolate block today, same packaging as always and I bit into the chocolate and it was obviously airy, I was combobulated and the chocolate was not as dense. I get this chocolate nearly every month. I looked at the packaging, nothing has changed except it went from 200g to 180g and that confirmed that I didn't get a airy batch but they purposely made the chocolate airy to save on costs but still charge the same.

TimTams, pringles, cereal, sauce, fun size chocolate which are the size of a pebble now, fast food, it's everywhere…. yes they are all guilty but we don't really realise it if we are a casual buyer, if you're a regular buyer then you'll notice straight away.

Pringles was so obvious that they didn't try to hide it.

Is shrinkflation really hurting consumers or do you think it's ok?

Poll Options

  • 22
    I don't mind shrinkflation
  • 88
    I prefer have the same quality/quantity and pay a bit more
  • 190
    I don't buy the products that have decreased in size
  • 122
    Eff capitalism and corporate greed
Food & Grocery

Comments

        • Ghost47 on 15/11/2023 - 23:34

          crickets

  • saltypete on 14/11/2023 - 13:01

    Ive stopped buying Westons Wago (now trolley）Wheels.

  • Bullion78 on 14/11/2023 - 13:43
    +1

    Whats hurting you far more mate is your health, everything you've outlined as candidates for shrinkflation is crap that you don't need in your body anyway. Simples, don't buy it at all and be far far better off in terms of your health and your wallet.

  • try2bhelpful on 14/11/2023 - 13:44

    The Wagon Wheel.

  • CowFrogHorse on 14/11/2023 - 13:46
    +2

    Shirnkflation is due to the greed factor. People are lazy, everyone wants to be paid a lot and in return they do nothing. Ive been around and i see it every day everywhere. Everyone is too lazy to write complete sentences and more, so of course if the company wants more and more profits theres only one last place to get the money from, aka shrinking portions etc.

    • Hangryuman on 14/11/2023 - 14:04
      +1

      'Shirnkflation is due to the greed factor'

      no shirnking now ! ;-)

      actually, I've read that product marketers found consumers very sensitive to price increases - and that if consumers notice a price increase they can simply stop buying it !

      so instead manufacturers keep the same price, and 'slightly' shrink the product size

      as I noticed in a supermarket the other day, if I'm looking for the size in gms on the packet and it's really hard to find a) because they put it in an easy-overlooked place, and b) might have it in tiny print, and c) low contrast like pale green on light green, then they've probably shrunk the size.

      • CowFrogHorse on 14/11/2023 - 14:19
        +1

        Thats all true but since companies want more money they have to find profits somewhere else.

        Take Optus they are paying $5M a year for the person who does absolutely nothing and probably has a building half filled with other people who do basically nothing but talk bullshit.

        The money for that has to come from somewhere…

    • Speckled Jim on 16/11/2023 - 11:01

      Everyone is too lazy to write complete sentences and more, so of course if the company wants more and more profits theres only one last place to get the money from, aka shrinking portions etc.

      Last time I saw such nonsense on the internet, I was eng

      • CowFrogHorse on 16/11/2023 - 11:02

        Like i said too lazy to write a complete sentence.

  • Hangryuman on 14/11/2023 - 14:00
    +2

    I heard that if you buy on Temu you can pay amazingly low prices like $3.99 for products that normally cost much much more, then when they arrive you find they are … tiny tiny copies of the thing you thought you would get.

    low low prices - for tiny tiny products - shrinkflation at its best ;-)

  • rkdreddy on 14/11/2023 - 14:39

    A small cappucino is where shriknflation stings me the most. At $4.XX anywhere in Melbourne, small feels teeny tiny small.

  • doctordv8 on 14/11/2023 - 16:00

    So, would you prefer the manufacturer to raise prices?

    Taxes, Death and Inflation. It is fact of life as we know it.

    Not necessarily in that order!

  • Kiro on 14/11/2023 - 16:27
    +1

    yeah, i dont think it will ever get back to normal.

    big corps want excuses to drive up the price, and they are coming thick and fast

  • RefusdClassification on 14/11/2023 - 16:31

    When you can purchase items in small and large versions the large version is always cheaper on a per gram/per ml basis. Shrinkflation means we are spending relatively more on packaging and less on content.

    The government needs to punish companies who are constantly shrinking portions. Put a 90% company tax on such firms + a flat 90% income tax on the CEO and board members. Problem solved. That's the only way you will get capitalist to change. Punish them or fully socialize companies.

    • valuer on 14/11/2023 - 18:01
      +1

      When you can purchase items in small and large versions the large version is always cheaper on a per gram/per ml basis.

      In theory, yes - but if you check the price/unit number in the corner of the label you can sometimes find it to be otherwise. Supermarkets are dodgy places.

    • ssfps on 15/11/2023 - 03:02

      The government needs to punish companies who are constantly shrinking portions. Put a 90% company tax on such firms + a flat 90% income tax on the CEO and board members. Problem solved. That's the only way you will get capitalist to change. Punish them or fully socialize companies.

      What makes you think the people in government don't want inflation? If they actually wanted to solve it, it's a lot simpler to solve the root cause than to add new rules that are easily gamified.

  • Herbse on 14/11/2023 - 20:13
    +3

    I literally don't by most of my groceries unless it's half price. ie normal price a few months ago.

  • lew380 on 14/11/2023 - 20:50

    Its a good thing for society, reduce your portion sizes of garbage you shouldn't be eating anyway, your not worth it(tm), you don't need it. We want things for set prices and for companies to bear the brunt of inflation, yea nah!

  • Dack Smith on 15/11/2023 - 13:11
    -1

    Well it had to happen, costs have to be passed onto consumers with inflation and wage rises.

    That is unless people are opposed to wage increases?

  • misfitt1911 on 15/11/2023 - 13:44

    I don't really care, because I will either stop buying the product or look for alternatives.

  • johnfuller on 15/11/2023 - 15:00
    +1

    how about how shoes now are made of glorified foam ?

  • damascato on 15/11/2023 - 17:05

    At what point it will start being consider unfair practice?

    Helga's wraps: same package size, wraps much smaller. No CLEAR indication of shrunk weight, they just did everything possible to make it look as if nothing had changed.

    Pathetic to say the least.

  • Ghost47 on 15/11/2023 - 23:48
    -1

    If you had to choose, would you rather pay more for the same amount (i.e. inflation) or the same price — or more possibly — for less (i.e. shrinkflation)?

    I don't know about you but IMO it sucks spending more for something that hasn't changed in quality or size. I'd rather shrinkflation to be honest because at least that way the money leaving my wallet isn't increasing for nothing, I'm just getting less which means I will consume less which isn't a bad thing IMO.

  • Wasabi Ninja on 16/11/2023 - 09:28

    I was a kid in the 80’’ and 90’s. Either it was a magic time of cheap food and non shrinkflation or I was just oblivious as a kid. Either way good memories of having a family block of chocolate to myself that was bigger than a aerobar.
    I still can’t bring myself to pay $5 for a bag of cc’s corn chips.

    • Speckled Jim on 16/11/2023 - 11:09

      Nah, you're right.
      It was about playing the long game, getting consumers behind them, brand loyalty etc.

      Lately, there's been an undeniable cashing-out vibe by the big corporations. They've made no secret of selling certain divisions or divestment into emerging assets/services.

      Almost a feeling they're all in on something. Prepping for a quick getaway when everything falls?
      AKA the Apocalypse so many have been gagging for?

      • samfisher5986 on 16/11/2023 - 12:26

        Or its just that the working conditions for the child slaves that harvest the cocoa have improved which means that chocolate gets more expensive to produce.

        • Wasabi Ninja on 16/11/2023 - 12:48

          Doubt it.
          Costs of transportation and processing though.

        • Speckled Jim on 16/11/2023 - 12:59

          I'd like to believe that.

          But hey, there's that free-market thing that's supposed to give consumers and producers choice.
          If you want fair-trade goods, or organic, whatever, you pay a premium for that choice.

          How did all choices — ethical or otherwise — go up by several tens of percent? I'm not buying the "all boats rise" BS of greater input costs when fuel has been so variable. Most big corporations have already jumped to cheap energy too.

          How does your example affect local grain and flour producers, where bread products have far outstripped CPI inflation? Were child slaves involved?

          It's already been admitted — there has been massive price-gouging simply because…they can.

  • bargain huntress on 19/11/2023 - 15:27

    I think they might have watered down Rosella tomato sauce!? Im trying to work out if i have a bad batch or if they have done this on purpose. It is gross.

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