If you’ve suspected that packages at the store seem smaller than they used to be, your instincts are likely correct.
- Angel Soft toilet paper once had 425 sheets per roll. Today it contains 320 sheets per roll.
- A bag of Doritos was 9.75 ounces in the past. It’s now 9.25 ounces.
- Dial soap used to be 21 ounces, and has been reduced to 16 ounces.
- Gatorade bottles were formerly 32 ounces, but are now 28 ounces.
- Even Ben & Jerry’s recently cut the size of its ice cream pints.
The quantity has been trimmed while prices have stayed the same — and in some cases risen. What’s happening in our supermarkets?
These are a handful of the many instances of “shrinkflation” — the practice where manufacturers reduce product size but keep the price unchanged.
Although shrinkflation has become more visible amid rising inflation, it’s been occurring for years, says Edgar Dworsky, founder of ConsumerWorld.org, who has tracked shrinkflation since 1995.
“I remember as a teen I bought a Mounds bar and it was two ounces,” Dworsky told Savinly. “Then suddenly it was one-point-something ounces for the same price.”
Since then, Dworsky has monitored numerous products and brands and the tactics they use to quietly shortchange shoppers.
Shrinkflation can be subtle enough that you don’t catch it right away. So how can you detect shrinkflation on shelves and make sure you’re getting full value for your purchases?
6 Ways to Outsmart Shrinkflation
Beating shrinkflation begins with becoming a more discerning shopper. You’ll need to pay closer attention when you shop and be open to changing your routines. Here are practical strategies:
1. Choose the Store Brand
Don’t dismiss store-brand products. They tend to cost less, are often comparable in quality and sometimes outperform national names.
Store brands also offer another benefit regarding shrinkflation: they’re typically slower to reduce package sizes.
“Usually one major brand shrinks its packaging first and the rest follow,” Dworsky said. “Generic brands tend to be the last to change.”
Shrinkflation watchers like Dworsky advise switching to store brands — or alternative name brands — if your preferred product starts appearing in smaller sizes while prices climb.
2. Check the Price Per Ounce
This technique is unit pricing. Divide the total cost by the quantity to figure the unit price.
For instance, if a 12-ounce soup costs $2.40, the unit price is 20 cents per ounce. Use this method for groceries and household items like toothpaste, baby wipes and razor blades.
Many stores display unit price beside the total price on shelf tags.
Unit pricing is mandated in several states, and many retailers display it even where it’s not required.
3. Buy in Larger Quantities
Purchasing in bulk from warehouses like Costco or Sam’s Club not only lowers your overall spend but also helps mitigate the effects of shrinkflation.
Bulk items frequently offer a lower price per unit. Say a single apple costs $0.75 at a grocery store while a three-pound bag with six apples at Costco is $3 — you’d save $0.25 per apple by buying the bulk bag.
That’s particularly true for dried goods, which have long shelf lives. The more pantry staples you keep stocked, the less often you’ll need to buy at regular retail prices and risk encountering successive waves of shrinkflation.
One convenient online bulk option is Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program.
4. Explore Other Retailers
Inflation has affected discount chains like the Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar General — not everything is still a dollar, with some items raised to $1.25 or $1.50.
Even so, you can still score many pantry staples at very low prices, from pasta and eggs to cereal and chips — often for about a dollar.
Other outlets also offer bargains. Drugstore loyalty programs and abundant coupons can reduce the cost of shampoo or granola bars to very little or even free.
5. Shop Online
Online shopping is primarily a time-saver when combating shrinkflation.
You can rapidly compare prices and unit costs without wandering aisles or squinting at small print. It also makes it easy to compare multiple stores — and various sellers and brands — to find where your money stretches furthest.
Even if you ultimately buy in person, researching online gives you a clearer picture of how a store handles shrinkflation.
6. Use Discount and Cashback Apps
Retailers like Target and Walmart offer apps loaded with digital coupons to help you save.
Make a shopping list and perhaps a meal plan, then search these apps for coupons that match the items you need. Other apps such as Upside and ibotta provide cashback at many grocery chains.
Skimpflation, Shrinkflation’s “Creepy Cousin”
Shrinkflation isn’t the only trick consumers should watch for. Dworsky warns about shrinkflation’s “evil cousin” — skimpflation.
Unlike shrinkflation, which cuts product size, skimpflation involves watering down ingredients or materials to reduce manufacturer costs.
One example Dworsky mentioned was the butter substitute Smart Balance.
“Smart Balance used to contain 64% oils as its fat content,” he said. “Then they reduced the oil to 39%, and the only way a shopper would know was by reading the small print on the package’s lower-left corner.”
Consumers noticed and complained, and Smart Balance ultimately restored the original oil percentage. That outcome is unusual, though; companies rarely revert to prior formulas once they’ve adopted a cheaper composition.
Skimpflation is hard to spot because manufacturers aren’t required to disclose precise recipes or product breakdowns on most goods.
“Think about it — we don’t have the exact formula for Tide detergent, for example,” Dworsky said. “It’s thick and blue. We can’t tell if there’s more or less whitening agent or slightly less cleaning component. For many products, we simply don’t know the makeup.”
You Are Your Best Protection
It’s frustrating to realize that shrinkflation and skimpflation are generally legal. They’re classic examples of companies squeezing profit margins while delivering less value.
“Shrinkflation isn’t illegal,” Dworsky said. “Manufacturers still list the net weight or net count on packages as required, and it’s up to us to be alert consumers.”
Spotting shrinkflation and skimpflation means paying close attention to favorites you buy regularly and reporting suspected ingredient or sizing changes to watchdogs like Dworsky’s site or the Better Business Bureau.
Our strongest defense is awareness: tracking how products evolve, sharing tips, filing complaints and posting reviews. If enough shoppers notice and voice displeasure about a particular change, brands might respond by restoring the old size or finding a compromise.
“The sneakiness never stops,” Dworsky said. “Is shrinkflation worse now because of inflation? Absolutely. Will it ever go away? No.”
James Porter is a senior writer at Savinly. Denver-based contributor Laura West covers lifestyle and wellness and frequently writes for Savinly Readers.
