Shrinkflation is easy to miss when it happens quietly, one ounce or one serving at a time. But this Reddit thread shows how bad shrinkflation has gotten. From smaller grocery packages to thinner fast-food portions, shoppers are comparing old and new products and finding less where they used to get more.
Even the Cheese Is Getting Put on the Scale
If the package says 16 ounces, you expect a full pound of cheese. But this Great Value mozzarella is sitting on the scale at 15.4 ounces, packaging and all. Sure, 0.6 ounces will not ruin dinner, but it is enough to make shoppers wonder what else is quietly shrinking in the dairy aisle.
Listerine Strips Then and Now
The package still promises 24 breath strips, but the strips themselves look noticeably smaller. It is the kind of change most shoppers would never catch unless they had an older pack nearby. Same case, same count, less minty real estate. Apparently, even fresh breath is being downsized now.
Naked Blue Machine Got a Little Less Juicy
The old Naked Blue Machine bottle held 64 ounces, while the newer one shows 54 ounces. The front label still looks familiar, but the back tells more of the story: fewer servings, different fruit counts, and lower vitamin amounts in several categories. It is the kind of change shoppers might miss unless the old and new bottles are sitting side by side.
Chocolate Bars Are Getting Thin-Skinned
This chocolate wafer bar looks like it still has the same shape and ridges, but the actual chocolate layer appears painfully thin. The wrapper may not scream “smaller,” but the bite tells on it. When the coating starts looking more like a chocolate suggestion than a chocolate bar, shoppers are going to notice.
Toy Cars Got Shrunk in the Wash
One user pointed out that shrinkflation is not just hitting groceries. This photo compares toy cars from 1997, 2012, and 2016, and the newer ones look noticeably smaller and less substantial. Same idea, less car. Apparently even tiny vehicles found a way to downsize.
Trending on Cheapism
Q-tips Went From 500 to 400
Same blue box, same “new look” promise, but one number changed in a way shoppers definitely care about. The older Q-tips box had 500 cotton swabs, while the newer one has 400. That is 100 fewer swabs hiding in plain sight, which is a pretty bold move for something people buy by the count.
Apple Took the Extras Out of the Box
This 2019-to-2025 comparison shows how buying a new iPhone has become a lot less generous. The older box came with earbuds, a charging brick, stickers, and a cable. The newer one? Mostly just the phone and cable. Apparently the “unboxing experience” got hit with shrinkflation too.
Macarons Are Looking a Little Petite
These two macarons sitting side by side make the size difference hard to ignore. The smaller red one still looks pretty, but it is giving “sample size” next to the older, fuller version. When dessert starts shrinking this much, you do not need a receipt to feel shortchanged.
Sign up for our newsletter
McDonald’s Patty Looks Paper Thin
A burger patty should probably be thicker than the cheese sitting on top of it, but this photo suggests otherwise. The meat looks so thin it is almost hiding under the slice. It is less “quarter pounder” energy and more “where did the burger go?” energy.
Dawn’s “New and Improved” Bottle Shrunk
The newer Dawn Platinum bottle says “new and improved,” but the size went the other way. The older bottle held 32.7 ounces, while the newer one shows 30 ounces. It is the same dish soap shoppers recognize, just with 2.7 fewer ounces to fight through the same pile of dishes.
Are You Supposed To See Through the Meat?
This deli slice is so thin you can see the package design right through it, which is not exactly what anyone wants from sandwich meat. The wrapper shows a fuller-looking stack, but the real slice feels almost transparent. When lunch meat starts looking like tracing paper, shoppers are going to notice.
CeraVe’s Value Size Got Smaller
Both bottles say “value size,” but the one on the right is clearly smaller. The older CeraVe lotion held 19 ounces, while the newer one shows 16 ounces. That is three ounces gone from a product many people use every day, which makes the “value” label feel a little less convincing.
McDonald’s Breakfast Burrito Got Tiny
A breakfast burrito should not look like it is hiding from the rest of the meal, but this one barely takes up space on the wrapper. The hand beside it makes the size difference feel even more obvious. It is less grab-and-go breakfast and more “did they accidentally give me the sample version?”
Raisin Bran Lost a Serving
The boxes look almost identical at first, but the serving count gives it away. One Great Value Extra Raisin Raisin Bran box says about 12 servings, while the newer one says about 11. It is the kind of change that hides in plain sight, right up until breakfast runs out a bowl earlier.
Ziploc Bags Went From 145 to 120
The older Ziploc sandwich bag box had 145 bags, while the newer one shows 120. That is 25 fewer bags in a package that looks almost the same at a glance. It is the kind of pantry shrinkage you might not notice until you run out of bags faster than usual.
Pringles Party Stack Got Less Party
The taller Pringles can on the right says 30% more, while the newer one on the left only says 20% more. The weight dropped from 203 grams to 188 grams, even though the packaging still has the same bright party energy. Nothing says “celebration” like 15 fewer grams of chips.
