You’ve probably heard of shrinkflation at this point, it’s almost everywhere. You probably won’t notice, but when you get home, the package of your child’s favorite cereal could look smaller to you or your beloved coffee doesn’t last as long, and you have to go to the supermarket more often. Reddit users shared their craziest examples of shrinkflation in r/shrinkflation for all of us to see.
Whole Milk Low Moisture Mozzarella Cheese
If the packaging says it’s 16 ounces, there shouldn’t be less than that in the product, right? Well, that’s what we all thought. This cheese actually has less than 0.6 ounces than it says. It shouldn’t be legal to do this. That’s one jam and cheese sandwich less that you got there.
8 Inches Tortilla
You can’t even trust a tortilla, something so delicious that saves us from cooking elaborate meals every day. We don’t understand why this user had a measuring tape, but honestly, it’s a good thing they made that decision. The tortilla was labeled 8 inches on the packaging, but we can see that’s not the case: it’s only 7 inches. What else are they lying yo us about?
Maltesers
When you try Maltesers, you’ll taste the milk chocolate and malted milk inside, along with its crispy and airy texture. This treat, originally from the UK, has become incredibly popular in the United States thanks to its easy-to-eat nature. At first glance, they look the same, but the actual weight has decreased from 520 grams to 465 grams. Don’t believe us? Check out the picture.
Feline Pine Original
Cat litter isn’t even off limits when it comes to shrinkflation. If you usually buy the Feline Pine brand, the original version, you might not have noticed that they’ve reduced the quantity by one pound: from 18 pounds to 17.
Weed Bgon Max
In just one year, the Weed Bgon Max garden herbicide has changed its bottle size by 1 liter. That’s a lot less for the same price! The product has gone from selling you 5 liters to 4 liters. And your garden still needs the same amount of this herbicide. There’s a plague in this world, but it’s not in your garden, it’s in the supermarkets and their shrinkflation.
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Orange Juice
The problem with shrinkflation is that it’s almost impossible to notice you’re paying the same price for less product. Who would even look at the number of liters in a bottle of orange juice? You’re simply thirsty, you like that brand of juice, and you buy it to drink later. It’s 0.18 liters less. It’s difficult to notice, right?
SciMx Pro V-Gain
It has the same packaging, the same color, the same presentation, and almost all the same values except for one: the amount of product inside. SciMx’s Pro V-Gain protein blend is a plant-based protein that many people choose to improve their health, so it’s natural. The issue is that you’ve been getting less protein because they changed the quantity from 1.2 kg to 900 grams.
Clancy’s Cinnamon Churros
Don’t get mad at your child for finishing the whole package of Clancy’s Cinnamon Churros. You might wonder how it was so big, especially since they used to have leftovers for another meal. The fact is, the amount isn’t the same. They’ve varied from 6 ounces to 3 ounces but still at the same price. It might be more noticeable if you have two packages side by side, but otherwise, you might easily miss it.
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Cento Cherry Pepper Spread
It’s not just bagged packages that can deceive you; glass containers can also be subject to the same shrinkage. The Cento Cherry Pepper Spread is a clear example: where there used to be 30 grams, there are now only 15 grams for a similar price. Comparing the nutritional values on the labels will leave you shocked. Will you look for more examples like this in your own pantry?
Listerine Strips Then and Now
It’s incredible to see that the Listerine packaging looks the same, almost imperceptible, but it’s not. When you buy one of these packs, while it maintains the quantity of 24 units, it’s not the same as what you get inside. You see how short the ones on the left are? Well, that’s shrinkflation.
Jiffy Seed Pots
Even when you decide to engage in such a pleasant and relaxing activity as gardening, you can’t let yourself get carried away. Jiffy pots have decided to reduce the number of pots in their packages by 3, from the previous 15. Therefore, pay attention and compare prices and quantities with other brands.
Mars Bars
The packaging hides the amount of food inside. Not only do the air-filled corners deceive you and make the product seem smaller, but the labeling itself shows the difference: you’re actually getting less product. Before, you could enjoy Mars bars with nougat and caramel in their 78.8-gram size. Now they only contain 69 grams.
Vital Strength Creatine
Creatine is a powder that’s become popular because it helps you build muscle while you’re at the gym. It allows you to train harder, improve physical performance, and accelerate muscle growth. And to help you train your eyes, take a good look at the grams on Vital Strength; they used to sell 450 grams, and now they only sell 300. It’s practically imperceptible and for the same price.
Bacon
You might think that companies are doing you a favor when it comes to bacon. You know bacon is one of the worst foods you can put in your body, but in reality, they’re simply trying to hide their shrinkflation. Many supermarkets have reduced the amount of bacon in their packages, from 500 grams to 375.
Ginger Shot
A person can only be alerted in two ways that a product’s contents have changed. The first is that they notice it runs out faster than usual, and the second is that they buy the new product while still using up the previous one and see one container next to the other. This happened with Ginger Shot, which went from 60 ml to 53 ml, but because they redesigned the container, it even appears larger at first glance.
Trail Mix
It’s impossible to notice shrinkflation with just one item. Try looking at the packaging of trail mix, which includes toasted peanuts, butter toffee peanuts, hot Cajun corn sticks, peanuts, honey sesame sticks, and almonds. The only way to see it is to read the quantity inside, and it’s decreased by 29 grams. And yes, you’re paying the same price for a handful less trail mix.
Coffee
Coffee is often one of those treats people indulge in throughout the day, because they enjoy it, it wakes them up, and let’s face it, it’s delicious. And because you like it so much, you usually buy the larger packages, saving money by buying in bulk. However, Eight o’Clock has another plan for you, because they sell you 0.5 pounds less without you even noticing.
Q-Tips
Just like lip balm, which is a health-maintaining product, the same is true for Q-Tips. These small, cotton items have had their packages reduced by 100 units. Those running this company probably won’t be able to cram enough Q-Tips into their ears to mask their customer’s displeasure with the product reduction.
Pringles
Even the famous Pringles potato chips have fallen victims to shrinkflation. The people stocking the shelves at this supermarket are trying to demonstrate shrinkflation to you, but they probably didn’t even realize it.
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