Hidden Costs: Shrinking Product Sizes Result in Price Increases!
Bacon, Bullshit, and Ballsy Business Tactics
Ah, bacon! The salty, sizzling, and sinful treat we all know and love. But hold up a sec, it's time we talk turkey about a not-so-sweet issue – shrinkflation.
You might think a pound is a pound, but these days, you'd be mistaken. A pound of bacon now weighs a mere 375 grams, a sneaky 18% reduction that leaves us paying more for less.
But that's just the beginning. From 2019 to 2022 in Canada, the average price of 500 grams of bacon rose from $7.06 to $8.55 – a whopping 21% increase in price per gram! That's the nasty stench of shrinkflation, folks.
Shrinkflation is the dishonest, subtle, and sometimes not-so-subtle reduction in product size or quantity while keeping the price the same or even increasing it. Companies think it's a clever way to save cash and boost profits, and it does take very little engineering to shrink the goods in a product or nudge up those prices. But consumers are left high and dry, paying more for less at a time when we have less cash to spare.
In a world where inflation is skyrocketing, interests are rising, and the economy is slowing down, you'd think companies would have a bit of shame letting us get screwed this way.
But what is shrinkflation, exactly? Well, let us enlighten you. According to Wikipedia – our good, old, free, unbiased source of knowledge – shrinkflation is also known as the grocery shrink ray, deflation, or package downsizing. It's the sinister process where products shrink in size, quantity, or quality while prices remain the same – or increase.
Companies argue that shrinkflation allows them to reduce costs and boost profitability, but come on, folks! When you're paying more for fewer goods, it's a raw deal. It's one thing to pay the same for fewer goods or more for the same amount; it's quite another to pay more and get less than what you used to. That's what makes shrinkflation such a dirty trick.
What makes it even more galling is that most of the time, this practice is done in the shadows, without being pointed out. May consumers never notice because the changes aren't always noticeable. But if you pay attention to the slimy price increases and package size changes over time, you might catch a glint of the sleazy marketing schemes companies use to pull the wool over our eyes.
The evil fingers of shrinkflation stretch across a wide range of grocery categories, from cereals to household cleaning products, soda to snacks. For instance:
- Buzzfeed reports on a variety of products that have been slimmed down, including Corn Flakes reduced from 760 grams to 600 grams, Lemonade reduced from 1.75 litres to 1.53 litres, Dove Soap reduced from 113 grams to 106 grams, to a mere 90 grams in three years, and all detergent reduced from 1.18 litres to 946 millilitres. Yikes!
- Marketrealist.com reveals that Folgers Coffee has reduced from 51 ounces to 43.5 ounces, Kleenex from 65 tissues to 60 tissues, and Pringles from 200 grams to 180 grams to a shocking 165 grams.
So, there you have it. Shrinkflation is the slimy tactic that companies use to make us pay more for less. And most of the time, they get away with it because they do this in the shadows. But savvy shoppers can outsmart these tricksters, by keeping an eye on package sizes and prices, and making better purchasing decisions.
History may have shown that companies will continue to reduce package sizes and increase prices whenever they can. Unless we band together, refuse to support these sneaky practices, and demand better from the companies we depend on, shrinkflation will continue to eat away at our wallets, one bite at a time.
So, the next time you're reaching for that favorite snack or grabbing the household essential, give it a pause. Is it the same size, same quality, and same price? Or have the deceitful fingers of shrinkflation gotten the best of it?
References:- [1] Morning Consult, 2025, The Hidden Cost of Groceries: How Shrinkflation is Affecting Consumers https://morningconsult.com/news-politics/inflation-grocery-prices-shrinkflation-consumer-impact/- [2] The Guardian, 2022, When shrinkflation spells inflation for the consumer https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/jul/05/when-shrinkflation-spells-inflation-for-the-consumer- [3] CNBC, 2022, 64% of Americans are concerned about shrinkflation https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/29/consumers-are-concerned-about-shrinkflation-heres-why.html- [4] Restaurant Business, 2025, Applebee's will not follow the shrinkflation trend https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/news/applebees-will-not-follow-shrinkflation-trend- [5] Telegraph, 2017, McVitie's reformulates Jaffa Cakes to contain fewer calories https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/polls/mcvities-reformulates-jaffa-cakes-to-contain-fewer-calories/
In the realm of business tactics, shrinkflation is a subtle yet unsettling strategy that companies use to boost profitability by reducing product sizes or quantities while keeping prices constant. This practice affects a broad spectrum of businesses, including personal-finance and supply chain management, as it elevates costs and impacts logistics. This deceptive tactic underscores the importance of mindful consumerism, where personal-finance consciousness and due diligence play a crucial role in countering such practices and making well-informed purchasing decisions.
