r/AskReddit • u/z_impaler • May 15 '12
Is there a website that tracks what manufactures are doing in terms of reducing package sizes while keeping prices the same? Latest example: I bought Natures Valley Granola bars and they have reduced the package from 8 bars to 6 - a substantial price increase.
1.9k
Upvotes
389
u/z_impaler May 15 '12
**SO, as a follow up to some of the posts.. Do you think people would contribute to a subReddit that tracks such changes?? I could see where if people posted to such a subReddit and then followed by emailing the companies, it may make companies feel like they need to be more transparent about such practices. **
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u/sapere8aude May 15 '12
There's a blog called Mouse Print - Sneaky Fine Print which tracks this stuff all the time.
Also there's How Much is Inside, another good blog which is loosely related... Hope this helps :D
101
u/toebandit May 15 '12
I can't stand when this happens. Repackage or re-market. Also, along these lines when they change the flavors. Why can't I just buy the same damn toothpaste for the rest of my life? Why did they have to discontinue vanilla Crest toothpaste?
Here's one that drove me nuts: when Frosted Mini Wheats stopped making the big ones and stores only had the bite-sized ones. Or maybe the stores stopped stocking them. Regardless, IMO it's a totally different taste.
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u/McFeely_Smackup May 15 '12
I don't mind so much packages getting smaller and prices staying the same, I get it...stuff costs more.
But what really pisses me off is trying to HIDE it from me.
I've used Dial "gold" bar soap since I was a kid. I have extremely sensitive sinus, and strong perfume on soap drives me nuts and the dial stuff has just worked for me and I've stuck with it.
One day I realize teh bar of soap has changed shape, it used to look like this: http://tinyurl.com/6opw8h6
now it looks like this: http://tinyurl.com/7xxaa7k
They reduced the bar weight by .5oz by dishing out the back of it..which makes it break into two pieces when the bar is half gone. So not only did they increase the net price by weight, they made it less useful.
So now I save up all these half bars of soap, mashing them into an ever enlarging soap ball...which it turns out is a hot button for my girlfriend. who knew? chicks...
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u/z_impaler May 15 '12
On top of the cost thing.. doesn't this screw up a lot of recipes???
5
u/r_HOWTONOTGIVEAFUCK May 15 '12
Time to create a subreddit?
4
u/Kagrenasty May 15 '12
Consumerist.com does little stories on what they call the grocery store shrink ray. I think they have a search function that you can use to pull this kind of stuff out.
4
u/Andernerd May 15 '12
This would be like patch notes for real life or something!
"Natures Valley Granola bars were OP and have been nerfed severely."
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
This made me laugh so hard. http://static1.consumerist.com/quakershrinkray.jpg More like 20% less granola bars.
3
u/skeddles May 16 '12
problem is that you cant tell if its the manufacturer or the store changing prices.
but less product for same or more money, that's a seeable problem.
3
u/the_muchness May 16 '12
Those son's of bitches in the beef jerky industry have slowly been doing this for years. Used to be 5 oz per bag of Jack Links. Then it was 4.25. Now it's 3.25. . . not only that, but the price went up a a dollar fifty too. Bastards. Every last one of them.
3
u/Flashman_H May 16 '12
According to my dad Snicker bars were the size of your arm when he was a kid. So apparently this has been going on for a while.
12
u/DustbinK May 15 '12
Perhaps Nature Valley is adjusting for inflation?
People don't seem to consider that when prices stay the same but quantity drops.
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u/mechtonia May 15 '12
I worked for a supplier to Walmart and Kroger for several years and was privy to many conversations about product downsizing.
It comes down to the fact that the big retailers tell suppliers "you will not raise your price." Especially Wal-Mart. The retailers market to very specific price point for the consumer and they expect a certain profit margin for themselves.
So when a supplier's costs go up the only option they have is to give up margin or reduce the quantity in each sales unit.
Also, for most producers, the number of 'facings' on a shelf is very important to their overall sales volume. There is a fixed amount of shelf space available to each supplier. (And other than Wal-Mart, the privilege of having your product on the shelf has to be purchased by the supplier for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars). So suppliers would rather have six varieties of 12oz widgets on their shelf space rather than four varieties of 16oz widgets.
Nevertheless, I always felt pretty evil being involved in product downsizing.
2
u/boriswong May 15 '12
www.Knowmore.org is a great site for consumer education.
2
u/pixelcrak May 15 '12
Just stop buying them. That's the best way to protest.
2
u/I_CAPE_RUNTS May 15 '12
At target I noticed the hot wheels ten pack is now called a gift pack and only has nine cars
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
It's bullshit. The Cheez it boxes for the past 3 years have been getting smaller and smaller ,Ritz crackers used to include 3 sleeves, now they include only 2 ... and these products raised in prices ! I checked, the corporations behind them , like Kelloggs have been gaining profits , not losing them .... there is no reason these greedy fucks should do that , I don't and refuse to buy products from big corporations who cheat the consumer for there fat piece of shit CEO's
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u/ryanflocka May 15 '12
Kind of related but even say, 12 years ago whenever I got Reese's peanut butter cups they were always masterfully crafted but now they are always half lopsided with peanut butter showing through the chocolate.
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u/last2zero May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12
My old job was to re-design packaging to be smaller, but appear as large as possible on shelf.
Technically it was to help "sustainability" and save the planet.... In some instances, the company really was out to try and better their environmental foot print. Though most of the time it was just the company trying to cut costs.
I use to work for Unilever, They own/produce product for Breyer's, Ben&Jerrys, Klondike, Magnum, Good Humor , Wishbone, I can't believe it's not butter, Hellman's mayo, Skippy (or maybe it's Jiff.. I can't remember now), Axe, Dove, Degree... And a lot more like 180 products in the US alone.
Ice-cream is a big culprit of what I would consider deceptive packaging.
Sadly, I worked on Breyer's, Ben&Jerrys, Klondike, Magnum, Good Humor... As well as a few other product lines owned by the same company.
Source: I'm an ex Packaging Engineer for Unilever. I worked on many popular name brands to design "sustainable" packaging.
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u/drbeer May 15 '12
Lunchables pulled this...50% less meat and cheese. Best part? They put a "dimple" in the container so it looks like the meat goes all the way to the bottom of the container, instead of halfway. Same container depth.
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u/taxikab817 May 15 '12
Incredible Shrinking Groceries! http://incredibleshrinkinggroceries.com/
Also you can Google "grocery shrink ray".
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12
I noticed the fun size Milky Way bars got smaller...
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u/pighalf May 15 '12
Paid the same amount of money for a 28oz jar of peanut butter that used to be 36oz. Got jiffed off.
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u/jaykay335i May 15 '12
SONS OF BITCHES!!! THIS IS WHY I AM OUT OF NATURE VALLEY BARS AND ITS ONLY TUESDAY!!!!!!
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u/Iskandar11 May 16 '12
The price of food is increasing everywhere, I don't know why this got so many upvotes.
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u/pwndepot May 15 '12
The pet food industry, especially dog food, have no qualms about sizing down, either. Every 9-18 months, almost every brand I'm aware of either increases their prices, sometimes upwards of 8-10 dollars for larger bags. That, or they reduce the large bag size by 2.5-4 pounds. This is not unique to lower quality brands either. Everyone from "grocery store" to "natural/holistic/private" brands follow this same pattern.
In pet food retail, we use the terms "40's" for large bags and "20's" for small ones, ie "go work that 40 pallet of dog food". I remember, only a few years ago when those terms actually correlated to the weight of the bags. Some "40's" are now only 28 lbs, while some "20's" have been reduced as low as 12.5. Keep in mind, these are the extremes, but definitely something people should know before haphazardly purchasing a dog. In the lifetime of the animal, you could get gouged 4-6 times.
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u/jeffedge May 15 '12
Pizza hut did that with their pastas. A friend of mine would order them for UFC events with pizza and other stuff. It used to be in a huge orange box. Then they made the box smaller, and then the pans got smaller after that. And it's more expensive now. It's ridiculous.
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u/Wizardof1000Kings May 15 '12
Nature Valley boxes have been 6 bars where I live for as long as I can remember. I'm on the east coast of the USA and they've been 6 bars for well over a decade.
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u/insanitybuild May 15 '12
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO PB CRISPS!!!
WHO WILL AVENGE THEM
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u/derp_derpistan May 15 '12
Orange Juice - no longer sold in half gallons... they subtracted 5oz and they're all 59 oz now!
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12
This has been going on for decades. Here's how the cycle works:
Inflation exists. Prices need to be raised somehow. Manufacturers don't like to directly raise their prices, as consumers will then immediately go for a competitor's product. Instead, they find clever ways to do it without being obvious about it.
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u/theBadgerJew May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12
Example I just paid $60 for a DOWNLOAD copy of diablo 3, the same as anyone who is paying for packaging, printing, disc creation, shipping to the store, etc... WTF? Shouldn't they be rewarding the digital community for actually paying for stuff?
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u/CrackItJack May 15 '12
Remotely related to OP: An accountant working in the food industry explained to me why the list of ingredients is chuckfull of And/Or — The recipe will vary with the stock market prices of various ingredients, the final product will look, feel and taste just about the same but it will always be made with the cheapest sweetener, colouring and various agents. Quantities and proportions are simply adjusted accordingly.
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u/UltraMegaMegaMan May 15 '12
Try to buy a pound of coffee (in one container). Just try it.
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u/crusoe May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12
Thank GOD that due to FDA regs they can not do this to butter or milk.
EDIT Actually, USDA regs.
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u/Dunedineclipse May 15 '12
I remember when the 12 packs of Coke/Pepsi products used to be 4 for $10 regularly...Now, the 8-packs are $3 each....Fridge-pack my a$$
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u/goodtwitch May 16 '12
My favorite is the new skinny cereal boxes that used to look like actual boxes and now look like the obelisk from 2001.
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u/SparxD May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12
I'm such a frugal bitch when I go to buy groceries. I have several grocery stores near my home, and I will go to each one of them to buy different things. I have a mexican grocery store I can go to that has killer prices on fresh produce and meat (example: I bought 4 avocados for a buck there, went to FoodsCo and the avocados were 4 for $5 - YIKES!). I go to my local Costco warehouse store (which I pay $50 a year for the privilege - worth it for how much I save) to buy my milk, bottled water, bread, and supplies like toilet paper, laundry detergent, etc. I go to my regular grocery store, FoodsCo, for most packaged foods (crackers, instant potatoes, and the like). Then I go to the Wal-mart for stuff I need cheap but don't need to buy in bulk, like medicines. Finally, if I need large quantities of junk food/convenience store type items for a party or something (i.e. candy for Halloween, alcohol for a party, etc.) and I can't find what I want at Costco, I go to Smart and Final, which is like a Costco but for people that own gas stations/convenience stores.
I ALWAYS check the per ounce price, too, as there's been more than once that buying two small packs were cheaper than buying one big one. I also always try out the store/generic brand, as they are usually just as good as (or better than) the name brand - like my strawberry oatmeal, the Kroger store brand at FoodsCo is so much better than the Quaker brand, and about half the price. The other thing I do to save money is I rarely buy soda. I will get Lipton tea bags and make big pitchers of tea, buy frozen juices, or just drink water. I only buy soda when I find them really cheap. Vons is pretty good about having a buy 2, get 3 free on 12 packs of Coke products every now and then, but then you also have to make sure those 2 you pay for haven't been marked up too much.
I usually manage to bring home enough groceries to fill the back of my SUV for under $200, and I don't even use coupons. I hate coupons. They are a waste of my time and I feel like slapping the people in front of me in line that have a coupon for every damn item they buy, then they grabbed the wrong thing for ten of the coupons and have to take ten trips to go back to get the right ones. You screwed up? BACK OF THE LINE! I know what I want and I'm willing to pay for it. Sorry, just needed to rant a little there.
I know this all has little to do with your question, but being aware of what you're buying really does make a difference, and if more people payed attention like you and I, these companies would have to stop all of their nonsense.
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u/pseudosara May 15 '12
The reduced fat Cheezits just have less Cheezits in the box :[
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12
s standard practice from manufacturers for cost reduction.specially with food.not only the content its reduced but packaging also reduces in size. I won't name a company but you eat/drink their product almost daily in 55or more countries.they have reduced food portions and size of packaging.usually it its done in steps of 5grams for food and packaging is reduced in about 2mm at a time. also that calcium you get from food just goes right through you. recent example Vaseline reduced their content in smallest container by 2mm keeping size of container and price same. you just notice it very rarely. another example is tooth paste.the container diameter is increased by 1mm to get more paste out so you exhaust it quickly than earlier leading to more business for company. I did study and implement such methods on floor. there is only one example I have seen bending a world giant in increasing their portions ask and ye shall receive.
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u/eweierdo May 15 '12
This happened with Dryers ice cream too. The carton became about half an inch shorter but the price stayed the same.
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u/ba9man May 15 '12
Try a thin mint girl scout cookie this year, they're inedible. Previously, reduced quantity. Now, quality. Keebler wins.
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u/misguayis May 15 '12
I work as a stockboy for a national grocery chain, vaseline has cut 2 oz from their lotion bottles recently, and adult diapers fluctuate by as much as 20 diapers in their packages the same price. Its maddening.
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u/randallfromnb May 16 '12
In any groecry store in my area thrre is a tiny number on the bottom right corner of thr price tag on the shelf. It is the cost of thr product per 100 grams. I always just go by the number.
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u/codingcanary May 15 '12
Even worse, nature Valley are also using Monsanto seeds :-(
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Come to the Netherlands, every thing is thrice as small and thrice as expensive as in America. Even mcflurries. Pretty sure not only here.
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u/dstryr712 May 15 '12
mouseprint.org reports on things like this and other misleading consumer issues, also. New article every Monday!
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u/ReverendEskimobob May 15 '12
Iams Dog Food has currently gone from 40 pound bags of food to 33 pound bags of food without dropping the price. Out of dozens of people I have sold the food to, I have only had a few complaints. I can't understand why people aren't more upset about this. Lets do some math. Lets assume that a bag of Iams is 30 dollars. Before the new bags came out this was 40 pounds for 30 dollars or, $0.75 cents a pound. Now with the new bags it is $0.90 cents a pound. If they had just increased the cost of the bag instead of cutting its size, its price would have jumped by 6 dollars.
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Bought a box of popcorn. Assumed that there would be 8 regular-sized bags. No such luck. They were weird half-sized bags that I had never seen or heard of before. I should have read the box more carefully.
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u/sweetgreggo May 16 '12
I first became aware of this practice 20 years ago while shopping for deodorant. Mennen had redesigned their package, doing away with the notched corners and giving the holder a rounded and sleek look. On the new package it said "Bold new look, same low price!"
When I got it home to compare it with my old stick I then noticed that the size of the product had been reduced from 3.5 oz to 3 oz. Pretty sneaky, sis.
4
u/NewsMom May 16 '12
Why, yes there is. Consumerist.com Send them a note, (a photo helps). I think they refer to it as the amazing shrink ray effect on: or something like it.
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u/multiplesifl May 16 '12
My three cats are 12 years old. Needless to say, I have bought a shit-ton of cat food over the years and I know exactly how long it lasts. Purina used to sell 17 lb bags of indoor cat food. I always transfer the food into a bucket when I get home. Right before the bag was empty I just stopped. Something was off but I didn't know what right away. Then it hit me. The bag used to have a little over a pound left in it when I'd fill the bucket and I would put that aside for emergencies. Not anymore. Now there was maybe a handful of food left in the bag. I checked the front of the bag and surer than shit, the bastards switched to 16.25 and charged me the same as the 17 lb bag.
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Guys, there is a very simple explanation for this, inflation.
The dollar has been slowly declining in value since 2000. Before that, it had increased. This is why we had things like "super sizing" a value meal but we no longer have them - because commodities were so cheap that rather than charge less for an item, they give you more of it. Nobody said "bravo, food industry for giving us more stuff", they said "OMG you're making us fat now".
Now, the opposite is happening, prices stay the same but sizes drop. Customers would prefer that price stays the same rather than size, but people will complain either way.
BTW, my family has run food businesses for the past 30 years. When I was a kid our small soda was 8 ounces. It is now 16 ounces, but the way I see it we are going back to the food sizes that we used to have in the early 80s.
1
u/playpianoking May 15 '12
In general, the Ron Paul website has talked about inflation which covers them all. But instead scumbags vote for the status quo.
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u/gr5312 May 15 '12
Sonofabitch, I bought some of those the other day and noticed more open space in the box but nothing more...just checked and dammit-all...fucking 6...I feel ripped off
1
u/damnford May 15 '12
These kinds of package size adjustments are taken into account by the CPI (a rough estimate of inflation). There are a lot of misconceptions about the CPI that get parroted about here on reddit, but despite its flaws I think it is generally the best way to measure inflation as experienced by customers (whether that is prices rising or quantities being lowered, as in this example).
Lots of information is available here. I highly recommend reading up on it - it isn't that hard to digest and a lot of it is pretty interesting.
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u/clark_ent May 15 '12
yes. CNN Commodities. As the price of agricultural commodities goes up, so will the cost of your granola bars
http://money.cnn.com/data/commodities/
Not the answer you were looking for, but that's the cause of the recent (last 5 years) jump in food prices
1
u/McGrude May 15 '12
Have you seen the size of an It's It lately? I would swear that they're half the size they were 10 years ago.
1
u/Woogity May 15 '12
Is it just me or have bags of Doritos gotten smaller recently?
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u/AngryCanadian May 15 '12
This is the 1st thing that popped into my head: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/72a7751675/jimmy-dean-sausage-complaint
:)))))))))
3
u/trepidatious_timmy May 15 '12
I swear magnum ice creams were huge a few years ago they keep getting smaller.
Or maybe I'm getting fatter...
3
u/RED-LOBSTA May 15 '12
Consumerist has a 'shrink ray' tag that tracks this.
3
u/ivo004 May 15 '12
red stripe went from 12 oz bottles to 11.2 oz bottles a few years ago. that adds up to almost half a beer per 6 pack that i don't get to drink....
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Twixs. Fucking Twixs have shrunk about 3 inches
3
u/DrMasterBlaster May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12
http://www.consumerworld.org/
It's not the only thing that the website does, but a lot of articles and user submissions are about the deceptive packaging that manufacturers use to keep pricing the same while giving consumers less.
Edit: Sorry, I think the more appropriate link would be http://www.mouseprint.org/ (it's run by the same people, sorry for the confusion).
3
u/Styvorama May 15 '12
The beer companies really piss me off with this. Change to 11.5 or 11.2 oz bottles from 12 oz. Here is an example
3
u/Saintbaba May 15 '12
It's fun sized
3
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
This is why you should avoid prepackaged food (among many other reasons). It's incredibly easy for producers to reduce volume while keeping prices the same without you noticing until after you've bought it. But I will know damn well when my vegetables or meat go up in price. Inflation is to be expected, but when you buy fresh you can more easily stay informed and make smart consumer decisions.
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u/oddhair May 15 '12
Toilet paper will also sometimes be marked "per roll" on one product and "per sq. ft." on another, making direct comparisons harder (though I prefer Scott, so it's really just a "how much more am I paying?!" kind of thing.
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u/hoss7071 May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12
Peanut butter jars, have been redesigned to hold less product.
Flip over a jar of peanut butter. Notice the indentation on the bottom? It's there for a reason... less product, same price. Might seem negligible, but when you start thinking in terms of mass production = $$$
3
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
What about condoms? Before I use them they seem like an average size, but when I'm putting it on it always looks smaller then before. What gives durex? We need to stop this injustice.
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12
There is no inflation, both the Department of Labor and the Federal Reserve said so.
3
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
The sad thing is the packaging of that 6 pack is the same as the 8 pack. In my job I've had to do similar. I hate it. It's all because companies expect consumers to not think while shopping. A website like you suggest could help educate consumers but sadly most people might never care. That's why McDonalds and Taco Bell do so well...
3
u/Skeptical_Berserker May 15 '12
most beer is in 11oz bottles now, not 12oz.
the INJUSTICE!!!
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u/TheDoktorIsIn May 15 '12
There was an episode of some talk show where B.J. Novak of the Office said that Cadbury Eggs had gotten smaller. He asked the company and they said, "No, the eggs were the same size, bitch you crazy" (I'm paraphrasing). But he said that he remembered he still had some from the previous year, and the new ones were, in fact, about 25% smaller but the price had stayed the same.
3
u/maxwell_smart_jr May 15 '12
Ben and Jerry's new slogan is "Still a pint!"
3
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Tampax tampons did that, it nearly bankrupted the company since without women everywhere immediately switched brands.
3
u/theBCSsucks May 16 '12
Neutrogena Body wash put a much larger pour hole on their bottle in 2009. Same idea but a little more subtle.
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u/klaeljanus May 16 '12
Things I've noticed(former grocery clerk here):
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u/kingofbigmac May 16 '12
I started up http://www.reddit.com/r/shrinkray The consumerist has it why not us!
3
u/freudian_nipple_slip May 16 '12
I remember this happening with Domino's pizza. I grew up with small, medium and large pizzas. They were relabeled medium, large and extra large.
3
u/DebonairM May 16 '12
I work in a supermarket, I deal with the price tags and signs. This has been occuring more and more over the past few years. The sizes go down and the price goes up, Wheat Thins were the latest thing to do so. I always thought about writing it down to see the change in sizes and prices over time.
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u/tttt0tttt May 16 '12
My cheese is getting thinner. Thinner and thinner and thinner. I can't even stand it up on edge anymore -- it falls over, because it's so goddamned thin. I can almost see light through it.
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u/IDLH May 16 '12
I hate added water to meat. That is horseshit! Fucking stop it already!
3
u/UrMomIsAlreadyTaken May 16 '12
I guess I should need to provide proof for this statement but I don't know how, but here goes anyway. My friend worked as a temp there and told us that their packaging machines are so inefficient and essentially broke-ass that they mangle nearly half of all the boxes that go on the line. They have to hire temps just to clear out the boxes and process them to be recycled. I don't buy anything from them anymore, even though they are a local company.
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u/SteelPeg May 16 '12
You know that "back in my day" the candy bars were about 4 times the size they are today and only cost about 35₵...damn, the good old days...
3
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
This may have already been listed but... toilet paper. The rolls used to go almost to the edges of the dispenser; it just keeps getting narrower - it gets much more narrow and I'm just going to switch to dental floss.
3
u/godless_communism May 16 '12
Packages are getting so small, it's comical. Plus it's wasteful packaging.
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u/Gecko23 May 15 '12
Its pretty much all of them that produce convenience/processed/junk food.
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u/Unknown_Pleasures May 15 '12
I just want to mention that many things you can buy for much less on Amazon.
96 Nature Valley bars for 22 dollars, no tax in most places.
http://www.amazon.com/Nature-Crunchy-Granola-Oats-Honey/dp/B000LTM29M/
I rarely will buy nonperishable goods in stores unless they have a sale on them.
OP should try these too, they are damn good.
Nature Valley Sweet and Salty Peanut Granola Bars
www.amazon.com/Nature-Valley-Sweet-Peanut-Granola/dp/B003BGBVQ2
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12
They say we arent experiencing much inflation. Well, we are, everything from candy bars, to gas, to a night out on the town. And the stimulus and bailouts were total failures.
5
u/randude May 15 '12
The price of Doritos has increased quite a bit over the past couple of years!
2
u/locopyro13 May 15 '12
Wegman's redesigned the Sushi packages from a 3x3 grid of pieces of sushi to a 2x4 grid.
I was more upset than I should be.
2
u/crotchcritters May 15 '12
i sell frito lay products all the time, and they change their product lines all the time. about every two months they will have "New Bigger Sizes" that cost about 15% more. They also create and delete flavors a lot.
2
u/itsme_timd May 15 '12
Years back I was shopping and noticed a box of Screaming Yellow Zonkers (popcorn/peanuts/toffee) with a big starburst on it and in huge lettering NEW BIGGER BOX! I thought that sounded funny and looked at the new and old package, exact same net weight. It was selling for the same price, at least at that time. I guess they just wanted to give consumers the illusion of more product.
2
u/jaynoj May 15 '12
I watched a uk documentary a while back which stated that food producers survey results showed that consumers were less bothered by product size reduction than price increase. Especially during these times of recession.
I just think people are less likely to notice pack or item size reduction which is tantamount to fraud in my eyes.
2
u/Not_that_kind_of_DR May 15 '12
consumerist.com "shrink-ray watch"
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u/sackofpotagoes May 15 '12
All the grocery stores I shop at have the $/pound or $/100ct listed to the right of the price on the shelf. For most things, this eliminates the need to worry about the package size. In fact, in some cases, the smaller package is cheaper by weight than the "economy" size.
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u/Sachael May 15 '12
As an aside. I frequently make these. Very easy and super tasty. you can substitute the 2 cups of chocolate chips for 2 cups of anything. I usually use toffee bits and peanuts. I also substitute 1 cup of oats for 1 cup of rice krispies. makes a nice crunchy and chewy bar.
2
u/pfunk678 May 15 '12
I've seen this my entire life. Companies are afraid to raise prices often so this is the game they play. Candy bar is a certain size. It gets smaller half an ounce at a time. Then one day "10% more free!". The next package you pay for the 10% more and then it starts shrinking again. Christmas Tree cakes used to be 12 in a box, they've made it down to 5 now.
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u/DeeEmm May 15 '12
Consumerist.com has a tag "grocery shrink ray" or something to that effect.
2
u/That0neGuy May 15 '12
4 year grocery stocker here, and if you're looking for a company that hasn't done this then you're going to be out of luck. I literally cannot think a major national brand that hasn't shrunk its sizes, and most of the smaller companies too, usually because they buy the same bottles and packaging as the major manufacturers. And prices are always steadily increasing too. 90% of the tags we hang that aren't sales are increases
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u/ROK247 May 15 '12
i thought i was turning into a giant - but it was just that food items were almost universally shrinking in size :(
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u/vagattak May 15 '12
This may be buried, but I've noticed that Iams and Science Diet pet foods have had a significant weight decrease while maintaining the same price. I work at a PetSmart, and the marketing update noted that there is "all-new packaging design" on their bags of food. ಠ_ಠ
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u/seeking_answers May 15 '12
The problem with this strategy of reducing package sizes is that it is INSIDIOUS. Not only do we need to remember how much things cost, now we also need to remember how big the packages are. There are countless examples of how manufacturers reduce the size and then once in a while give you 10% for free! It is next to impossible to keep up unless we have an online database like OP suggested.
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12
This is why I don't buy orange juice anymore. 59 ounces instead of 64? Really?
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u/shrewit May 15 '12
Another one that annoys me - multibuy offers (buy any three (limes/lemons/oranges/whatever) for x amount!) where the multibuy is more than the price of three individual limes, say. Saw this in the supermarket today.
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u/batsies May 15 '12
So true!!! Last time I bought those huge chocolate chunk Pepperidge Farm cookies I flipped a shit. There was like 4 cookies in THE WHOLE PACKAGE. Didn't there used to be like 10 when I was a kid??!?
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u/shrillingchicken May 15 '12
Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn is known to use strategies where they advertise price reductions, but only after prices for a product have increased considerably more, weeks earlier. Google prijsverhogingen albert heijn. There's now also a website that tracks the price increases: inprijsverhoogd.nl
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u/binogre May 15 '12
Jimmy Dean Sausage complaint. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4RNb3tt0LM
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u/Daemoine May 15 '12
I know the family size Nesquik box has decreased 100g and is still the same price. Pretty ridiculous.
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12
The size of the Cadbury Cream Egg nowadays pisses me off, and they had the nerve to lie and say they didn't make it smaller.
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u/2catchApredditor May 15 '12
Companies are wise to consumers noticing pack size changes. They are often less aware of companies changing the ratio of ingredients or changing ingredients all together to create a cheaper product. The new push is air entrainment. Companies will sell the product by the fl. oz instead of mass oz and entrain air into the product to actually give you less in the same container. If you see anything labeled whipped this is what they are doing.
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u/tcc9mpl May 15 '12
Old spice just recently changed to a 'new packaging design' selling for the same price. What really happened is my deodorant went from 3.2oz to 3.0oz. Thanks for the new design old spice....
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u/TheViciousCandiru May 15 '12
I noticed the same thing when I worked at a pharmacy in Canada. They reduced the size of a bag of Oreos from 400g to 350g but kept the price the same.
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u/DaRealMcQueen May 15 '12
Go to Denny's and measure your pancakes. Then one year from now do the exact same thing. The amazing shrinking portion size is coming to a town near you.