If you can’t shake the feeling that your favourite bag of chips has gotten lighter, there’s now proof you’re not going crazy.
Driving the news: A new study on shrinkflation at Canadian grocery stores found that 20% of the products analyzed by researchers have gotten smaller over the past five years, with some weighing as much as 25% less than they did in 2019.
- The worst levels of shrinkflation were found in poultry, cooking oils, processed meat, baby food, and products with high fat and sugar content.
Why it matters: The shrinkflation game might just be getting started. With consumers now pushing back on price hikes, more brands could try shrinking their products to give the impression of reasonable prices to bargain hunters.
Zoom out: Countries like South Korea, Hungary, and Brazil have passed laws forcing companies to add a note to any package that they’ve shrunk, while France has asked the EU for permission to launch a similar mandate.
- One French grocer, Carrefour, took matters into its own hands, slapping shrinkflation signs on products to warn customers.
Bottom line: Brands are going to maximize their profits one way or another, whether it’s by raising prices or lowering their costs by only filling up the chip bag a quarter full.