Have You Noticed Shrinkflation While Shopping? I Did.

(Mix 93-1) I'm sure you've heard of 'shrinkflation'. Shrinkflation is the practice of reducing the size or quantity of a product while maintaining the same price, or in some cases, increasing the price despite the lower amount of product in the packaging. Companies and manufacturers usually do this to offset the rising costs of materials.

What Is Shrinkflation?

The practice of shrinkflation has been around for decades, and savvy consumers have become keenly observant of this practice, especially in the post-pandemic world. Shrinkflation was initially attributed to supply chain issues; however, rising production costs are now the primary factor. It wasn't too long after the pandemic when I noticed my first example of shrinkflation with a bottle of shampoo. The 32-ounce bottle had been reduced to 28 ounces, with the label still saying 'family size'!

Examples Shoppers Have Noticed

Whether you realize it or not, we’ve all experienced this phenomenon: from cereal boxes to candy bars to toilet paper rolls, we’re getting less product for the same price.

While it is a way to avoid a price hike from the company or store, it still hurts because now we're receiving less product than we once did. It really stings when you see it happen right in front of you instead of happening slowly over time.

A Real-Life Example at Lowe’s

This past weekend, I was in Lowe's to pick up a second box of deck and fence screws to finish off my fence project. I took the box I bought 10 days prior with me to the store so that I could purchase the right box of screws. I found them, but noticed that shrinkflation took place within those 10 days.

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Sure, it's a petty thing, and I'm sure it makes me sound like a 'Karen', but this new box of screws had fewer screws than the one I purchased 10 days earlier. The original box had 144 screws, and the new box now contains 122 screws. While the difference is small, only 20 screws, it's the fact that I'm receiving less now than I was just ten days ago.

As I thought about it, now, for every six boxes of screws that are sold at Lowe's, the home improvement store is making an extra $10. It's a petty thing, I know, but it's annoying when it happens nearly right in front of you.

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Have You Spotted Shrinkflation?

What items have you seen go through this shrinkflation phase? What was the product and the quantity before and after the packaging change? Send me an email to let me know. I'm interested in learning what you've noticed.