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"Shrinkflation"

51 replies

LindyLou2020 · 27/11/2023 11:26

I'm just having a bit of "downtime" - between finishing one task and about to start another. So browsing Mumsnet, and was reminded about something I've noticed over the past few weeks/months when doing my supermarket shop.
We can't fail to know about inflation, and also "shrinkflation, whereby manufacturers reduce the size of an item but the price stays the same or even increases.
Some examples I've noticed are:
Toothpaste - many tubes are now 75g but used to be 100g.
Go Ahead Crispy Fruit Slices bars - now 4 bars in a pack when there used to be 5.
Some loaves of bread are now 600g, down from 800.
Many cat food pouches are now 85g, down from 100g.
I don't really know what point I'm trying to make, other than to have a bit of a rant 😡, but you do have to be very savvy to this trick and choose carefully.
Have you come across any other glaring examples?

OP posts:
FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 30/11/2023 16:44

It's not just food that they do this with. I've noticed, when buying packs of printer paper, that they've 'shrinkflated' it in two separate ways.

Not only is a pack now universally 400 sheets of A4, rather than 500; but the standard quality used to be 80gsm. A while ago, they quietly reduced this to 75gsm, without any fanfare; and now, I noticed yesterday in Tesco that they've now reduced it further to 70gsm. It doesn't sound a huge difference, but you can tell the reduced thickness and opacity (especially if printing double-sided).

How long until they start selling 'luxury finest super-high-quality' paper for twice the price, that's the same quality as (or less than) used to be the bog-standard?!

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