Shrinking package sizes - same price

[Marc Vaughan]

How stupid do companies think people are - in the last six months I've noticed package sizes shrinking for various foodstuffs while retaining the same price tag in an attempt to hide price rises (most noticable on things like Cereal boxes which if things continue will soon be sold in single person servings ).

The latest one I've noticed though is my contact lense solutions - the bottle has halfed in size.

Are people really stupid enough not to notice this kind of thing?

[RendeR]

Never EVER underestimate the power of human stupidity.

[panerd]

Agree on the post and I have it at 100% of a parody thread by the end of the day.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

Are people really stupid enough not to notice this kind of thing?

Do you really even have to ask that question?

[MJ4H]

[Mustang]

Maybe stores have just turned up the air conditioning?

[terpkristin]

It's not necessarily all about consumer stupidity, though. I mean, the consumer has to buy what they need, and if what they need is only available at the smaller size at the same price, what's there really to be done for it? Costs are rising for a lot of goods, owing in part to oil silliness, rising costs for farmers, environmental/weather impacts to crops, etc.

I'm not trying to defend it, but really, there are reasons for it, and no doubt profit margins come right into that. Consumerist has been doing bits on the Grocery Shrink Ray, this is one such article. A lot of the local news channels seem to be picking it up (I know I saw something on it on my local NBC affiliate), too, so there should be at least a little more consumer awareness.

At the end of the day, though, what can you do? For some things, you can probably switch brands to those that don't shrink sizes without a corresponding shrink in prices. But, for others, that may not be an option (for example, my eyes seem to be super-sensitive to all but one brand of contact lens solution, so I'll just have to deal with it). And I guess there's always letter-writing...what's the worst that can happen, the company ignores your letter? The best might be that they give you coupons or something.

It sucks, but it seems to be a part of the current economy. Just don't blame it all on consumer stupidity.

/tk

[Mike1409]

I know that the box for CM4 was huge and now i don't even get a CD!!!

[larrymcg421]

Damnit, someone beat me to the George Costanza joke!

[gstelmack]

Consumer Reports has examples of this every single issue...

[Marc Vaughan]

I'm reading the 'undercover economist' at the moment, its got some neat stuff in it on how supermarkets do their pricing and victimise people who don't shop carefully by randomly increasing the prices of one item in the grocery section by 10-20% each week, lazy shoppers will just buy anyway and the supermarket increases their profits - careful shoppers will buy an equivalent at the normal price.

The other thing of interest from that novel is that consumers have largely 'asked' for an increase in staple goods by proving that a large percentage of them will pay considerably more than normal by buying overpriced goods when they've a 'green' label stuck on them ....

[henry296]

Their is one other option... raise the price for the same amount of stuff.

Which would you prefer?

[Coder]

Originally Posted by henry296

Their is one other option... raise the price for the same amount of stuff.

Which would you prefer?

From a producer's standpoint, that would be the more rational decision though, since you would then save on re-configuring packages and packaging processes.

However, customer psychology is that if something costs the same, then it's probably going to be the same, while a price-hike would make the consumer think twice. Therefore, the way it's been described in this thread makes it out as the producers are trying to sneak a price-hike by the customer.

[mauchow]

Soda prices have risen dramatically over the last few months as well. Soda is something you can buy in bulk when it goes on sale, which is what I do. Right now there is a 5 for $10 down the street... go there daily to snag five more. Well, not daily, but I'm up to 20.

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Coder

However, customer psychology is that if something costs the same, then it's probably going to be the same, while a price-hike would make the consumer think twice. Therefore, the way it's been described in this thread makes it out as the producers are trying to sneak a price-hike by the customer.

One interesting side effect will be whether this helps combat obesity at all ...

Another way in which producers have managed to hike prices in recent years is by 'playing' on this concern in consumers - check out the increased pricing for diet packs of stuff sometime, not the 'diet coke' bottles - but rather pre-packed 100 calorie snak packs that sort of thing, then compare it to the amount you'd get in a regular packed for that amount ... as with the 'green' food consumers have told producers that they aren't bothered paying more.

[Drake]

Welcome to America, Marc.

[Crim]

Welcome to the 1980s, Marc.

This shit has been going on the whole two decades that I've worked in a grocery store.

Vacuum packed coffee was the first thing I ever noticed, it went from 16oz to 14oz. I mean, every brand including our private label, all within about a month.

That was in 1989. Most recently yogurts did it, but at least when our Publix brand dropped, we dropped the price as well... for now.

[Mr. Olympia]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

(most noticable on things like Cereal boxes which if things continue will soon be sold in single person servings ).

The latest one I've noticed though is my contact lense solutions - the bottle has halfed in size.

Are people really stupid enough not to notice this kind of thing?

Funny, I have noticed just the opposite. I noticed that the Boxes are staying the same size while the actual product in side is smaller.

Things like coffee, cereal, hell even my damn protein powder seems to be sold in a container that is only half full once you open it up.

[Mac Howard]

Hows this for deception:

The cartons of milk had large "ON SPECIAL" signs on the shelves. A circular sticker had been put over the packet price and a new price penciled in on it. I couldn't remember the old price but had an uneasy feeling there hadn't been much of a markdown so I managed to peel off one of the stickers. The price underneath was lower than the price penciled in

[Raiders Army]

I hate how you buy bags of potato chips and half of the bag is air.

Funny, I have noticed just the opposite. I noticed that the Boxes are staying the same size while the actual product in side is smaller.

I wonder how you do that for toothpaste?

[cuervo72]

Yep, been going on for years. I'm surprised the industry hasn't lobbied to redefine a gallon as 116 oz, or a dozen as ten.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by Mac Howard

Hows this for deception:

The cartons of milk had large "ON SPECIAL" signs on the shelves. A circular sticker had been put over the packet price and a new price penciled in on it. I couldn't remember the old price but had an uneasy feeling there hadn't been much of a markdown so I managed to peel off one of the stickers. The price underneath was lower than the price penciled in

But what does that really prove? Grocery stores are able to charge whatever they like for items. If they have to increase the price due to cost that's just what happens. With fuel, energy, manufacturing, inflation, it's a nature of doing business and being a consumer.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by Raiders Army

I hate how you buy bags of potato chips and half of the bag is air.


I wonder how you do that for toothpaste?

You'd rather have the bag devoid of air and the chips all crushed to bits?

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by DanGarion

You'd rather have the bag devoid of air and the chips all crushed to bits?

Pringles, baby.

/tk

[EagleFan]

I guess you really need to admire someone with the guts to announce to the world that he has a problem with a shrinking package... Soon we'll see him on one of those late night infomercials...

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Pringles, baby.

/tk

Those aren't even chips!

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Raiders Army

I hate how you buy bags of potato chips and half of the bag is air.

They are actually filled with some sort of pressurized nitrous(I think) air to preserve them.

[ISiddiqui]

The problem is people are stupid and most people don't notice. Sure some do and give it to Consumer Reports or whatnot, but the vast majority don't notice until it's been done for years.

[MikeVic]

That's what she said.