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Seeking to learn more about shrinkflation and what that means to us as consumers, we got in touch with a shrinkflation expert, former Massachusetts assistant attorney general in consumer protection, and founder of Consumer World, Edgar Dworsky, who explained that the goal of shrinkflation is for companies to manage their costs without having to noticeably raise prices for consumers.
“When manufacturers face increased costs for raw materials, transportation, and so on, they have to decide how and if to pass on those costs to consumers. Companies know that shoppers are very price-conscious and will likely notice any significant price hike. But they also know that if they reduce the size of a product slightly, fewer consumers will notice, so they can pass on the same price increase but in a more inconspicuous way,” he explained.
According to the expert, shrinkflation has been around at least since the 1950s. “I believe it will always exist because manufacturers would rather tinker with the net contents of a product rather than raise the price directly. Sometimes they actually do both,” he noted, adding that shrinkflation tends to come in waves, and that at times of high inflation, we are likely to see more examples of it.
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Talking about how shrinkflation affects consumers, their spending habits, and their views of certain brands, Dworsky gave a real-life example, making it pretty clear how consumers suffer from such changes:
“If you get two ounces less in each cereal box, that’s two bowls of cereal less. [That means], you will have to buy the product more often. Simply Orange just reduced their bottles of orange juice from 52 ounces to 46 ounces—that is one less glass of orange juice. Again, you will have to shop more often for that product too.”
The expert added that some shoppers who find out that their favorite brand has downsized vow to switch to a competitive brand, which means that manufacturers downsize at their own risk. And yet, even with that in mind, many of them choose that route.
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“With all the attention the media has given to shrinkflation in the past couple of years, more and more shoppers notice it. But by no means is that anywhere close to the majority,” Dworsky said, delving deeper into how noticeable to consumers shrinkflation is.
“The changes can be so subtle that only those with a photographic memory will catch some of them. Some products may only be reduced by an ounce or two. Others, like detergents, may claim you get the same number of loads, but they have taken out, perhaps, 10 ounces from each jug.”
Summing up our conversation about shrinkflation, Dworsky suggested that shoppers need to become more “net weight conscious,” meaning that they should pay attention to the net weight or net contents of the products they buy on a regular basis. “How else are you going to spot a downsized product if you don’t know how today’s version of the product compares to yesterday’s?”
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