“Shrinkflation” is the deceptive practice of reducing the size or the quantity of a product while keeping the price the same. It is a hidden price increase. While this is happening in every aisle of the grocery store, there is one section where it is happening the fastest and the most aggressively: the snack aisle. The snack aisle is the perfect laboratory for this practice. It is a place where a unique combination of factors allows companies to give you less for your money without you even noticing.
The Packaging Is Already Deceptive
The snack aisle is the home of the “slack fill.” Slack fill is the large amount of air that is in every bag of potato chips. We are already conditioned to accept that a large, puffy bag of Doritos will only be about half-full. This makes it very easy for a company to reduce the amount of product in the bag by another 5% or 10%. The bag will still look just as big and as full of air as it did before.
We Shop This Aisle with Our Emotions
The snack aisle is not a place where we make logical, well-planned purchases. It is a place where we make emotional, impulse-driven ones. We are not there to compare the unit price of a bag of chips. We are there to get a quick, satisfying treat. The companies know this. They know that a shopper in a “craving” mindset is not paying close attention to the net weight that is printed on the package.
The High Competition and Brand Loyalty
The snack aisle is one of the most competitive places in the store. The brands are in a constant war for our loyalty. They know that a direct price increase is the fastest way to get a customer to switch to a competitor. A customer will immediately notice if their favorite bag of chips has gone up by 50 cents. They are much less likely to notice if the bag has lost a half-ounce of product. Shrinkflation is a much safer way to protect their profit margins.
The Ingredients Are Not the Main Focus
When you are buying a snack, you are not buying a simple commodity. You are buying a “flavor experience” that has been engineered in a lab. This means that you are less focused on the amount of the product and more focused on the brand and the flavor. This is different from an item like a pound of ground beef. In that case, the weight is the most important part of the purchase.
The Incredible Shrinking Snack
The snack aisle is the perfect storm for shrinkflation. It is a place where deceptive packaging, emotional shopping, and high brand loyalty all come together. This allows the manufacturers to quietly chip away at the value of their products. They are betting that you will not notice. The only way to fight back is to become a more critical shopper. You must ignore the size of the bag. You have to focus on the one number that tells the truth: the unit price.
What is the worst example of shrinkflation you have seen in the snack aisle? Has this practice made you less loyal to your favorite brand? Let us know!
What to Read Next
- Shrinkflation Isn’t A Hoax — Grocery Items Are Smaller, Same Price, and You’re Paying More Anyway
- 10 Brands That Sneak Shrinkflation Into Every Package
- Is Shrinkflation a Real Thing or Just a Coincidence?
- 7 Chains That Are Shrinking Their Shopping Hours Without Announcing It
- 10 Grocery Items That Now Shrink So Fast You Barely Notice
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