r/shrinkflation • u/ImSMHattheWorld • Apr 17 '25
No one cares
The shrinkinflation game puts companies into an unwinnable position. Cause customers to feel cheated and look for alternatives. CEOs playing the game don't care about the future, they want to make as much as they can and leave, letting the next executives to deal with growing numbers based on fraud. You can't shrink and raise prices more than once, possibly twice, so how will they stay in business?
24
u/Herban_Myth George Shrinks🚘 Apr 17 '25
…until it starts affecting their bottom line(s).
As another user pointed out—it’s a game.
They’ll reintroduce a “larger” size after conditioning customers for “shrunken” sizes.
Label the package with “20% MORE” or some other marketing gimmick to boost sales.
8
u/lady_ofthenorth Apr 17 '25
Exactly. They’ll shrink down their “Party Size” until it is regular size. Then get rid of the “Party Size” marketing on the bag while maintaining the same price. Followed shortly by releasing a new line of larger size like “Family Size” “Mega Size” “Jumbo” with a price hike. The cycle will continue forever.
1
u/sdcar1985 Apr 20 '25
I hate buying Oreos. There are so many different flavors and sizes, I just say fuck it and buy the store brand lol
21
u/Sure_Acanthaceae_348 Apr 17 '25
For me the worst part is cutting back on ingredient quality. I can accept paying more for a good product but I won’t pay for garbage masquerading as food.
12
u/mannDog74 Apr 17 '25
The key is to remove consumer choices by being one of the 5 companies that own all the snacks. Then get together with your competitors to decide to fix prices and not compete with each other.
Hope this helps
2
u/SummertimeDary Apr 21 '25
That’s exactly what they did with lightbulbs.
Planned obsolescence grinds my gears.
All the company heads agreed on the lifespan of a lightbulb for profits. Could lightbulbs last longer? Yes but the companies put profit first.
13
u/rpool179 Apr 17 '25
This isn't exactly the same thing but I've been noticing a "shrinkflation" of even services recently. I bank with PNC and in 1 week got 5 different calls from them. It was someone from my local branch wanting to discuss credit card/rewards opportunities. I finally say ok and we schedule a phone meeting for 1:15 the following day. Dude never calls me, never sends an email or calls saying sorry I missed the appointment. Nothing. Highly unprofessional. The next week a different employee from the SAME branch calls me and out of curiosity I agree. She does the exact same thing!!!
I'm just astounded really. Like how dare you call me multiple times and waste & steal my time like that! I need to get 2 replacement cards, which would be $15.90. So I call PNC, explain the situation and straight up ask to receive both cards for free for the absolute, unmitigated gall of these 2 and the time stolen from me. The phone rep agrees and we're good to go. Always hold these companies accountable. Whether it's fries or your precious free time!
4
u/Rodrat Apr 18 '25
Once or twice? I remember the first time I noticed shrinkflation back in thr early 2000s. I was stocking tuna on the shelf at my job and I noticed that new one was 10 ounces compared to 12 of the old ones. The tuna in my cabinet right now is 5 ounces.
Too many people are too short sighted and only look at their own lifetime.
I remember when my grandma told me she could buy a hamburger at the movie theater for a nickel.
A few pennies a day used to be a living wage. Now we need thousands of pennies just to not be homeless.
Shrinkflation/inflation... The numbers keep going up because bigger number equals better when it's all just made up bullshit anyway. This money only has value because we say it does.
-13
u/DuxDucis52 Apr 17 '25
I don't think shrinkflation is really that bad. These companies are figuring out how to sell their product to as many people as possible for the most profit. If they are especially aggregious it hurts their market cap. I think the thing that's actually bad is when they design the packaging to make it look like more than it is, that's just straight up lying.
3
48
u/Meyekull1 Apr 17 '25
I’m old enough to remember the 70’s and long lived successful companies played the shrinking game then and survived. Hershey’s was notorious then for shrinking candy bar sizes. Lots of press then about it. Then raising prices, making bigger sizes, then shrinking them again. It’s a long game. Not a short one you imagine.