The Great 'shrinking food and other items' Hunt

Pollycat

Slinky wrote: »

Gosh do I feel ripped off!

I normally buy Colman's Tartare sauce for £1 a jar when it's on offer. Today it's on offer in Tesco at £1 a jar, 20p off. Picked up a jar, thought this feels a bit small, so I only bought one, rather than the four I'd normally get to tide OH over until it's on offer again.

Came home, checked the weight of the last remaining one which is nearly used up - 250ml. The new one is 144g - note the change from volume to weight. But the new jar is significantly smaller than the old one. Assuming the sauce weighs about the same as water, that's a 40% difference.

I was in a rush, I could quite easily have bought more of them.

Have you spotted any rampant shrinkflation?

I spotted one very similar to this one.

I usually buy Tesco hot horseradish sauce but saw some Coleman's in the reduced section.

Checked the main shelf and there was the 'new' version, smaller and more expensive.

So I bought a lot of the old ones - in good date.
I often use it in mashed potatoes, on beef sandwiches and in stews/casseroles so get through quite a lot.

monnagran

My latest experience was with Ryvita Crackerbread. It was in our local Co-op labelled boldly, HALF PRICE.
I very nearly bought a packet as it is something I eat quite a lot of. But the packet didn't look quite normal so I took all the details and went home to check.
Oh yes, it was half price, but it was also almost half sized as well. 125grams instead of the usual 200 grams.

I have trained my family always to check the unit price. It is an eye opener.

Slinky

Mr_Singleton wrote: »

Not seeing the issue here..... would you rather pay the extra and have the same size jar?

Is it any different to a company giving a pay rise? Employees are still doing the same amount of work but now getting paid more.

Well the previous jars are normally £1.40 full price, regularly on offer for £1. These new small jars have come in at supposedly £1.20 reduced to £1. However I've been looking for a couple of weeks to buy at £1, I never saw these smaller jars available at £1.20.......... is this a false offer?

Slinky

maman wrote: »

Many, many examples on the 'Great Shrinking Food Hunt ' on the Food Shopping board.

Similar to OP I first noticed when Lazy Garlic looked like it belonged in a dolls' house!

Yes I've also seen the tiny Lazy Garlic jars, they do seem to have gone back to the larger ones, at least they had the last time I bought about a month ago.

LameWolf

monnagran wrote: »

I have trained my family always to check the unit price. It is an eye opener.

I've spent the last 15 years dinning this into Mr LW.

monnagran

LameWolf wrote: »

I've spent the last 15 years dinning this into Mr LW.

I know. Men seem to be particularly dense about the reasons for this.

YorksLass

Mr_Singleton wrote: »

Not seeing the issue here..... would you rather pay the extra and have the same size jar?

I'd prefer to have the same amount for the same price thanks but I know that ain't gonna happen!

Paper products are also a victim of shrinkflation and/or price increases and examples I've noticed over the last couple of months are:

A 2-pack of basic kitchen roll was 80p for 200 sheets, now £1.00 for 200 sheets = price increase of 20p

A twin-pack of mansize tissues was £2.20 for 200, now £2.00 for 132 = shrinkflation price increase of 42p per 100

An 18-pack of toilet rolls was £6.65 (240 sheets per roll, total of 4320 sheets, 15p/100 sheets), now a 16-pack for £5.00 (220 sheets per roll, total of 3520 sheets, 14.2p/100 sheets) = just under 1p/100 sheets cheaper for a new and supposedly improved product. (Gawd, I need to get a life if I have time to work this out! Tbf, I am a bit like a dog with a bone when something annoys me.)

BUT individual sheets are smaller than before, thinner, tear more easily when starting the roll and stick to inner cardboard tube at the end of the roll, thereby wasting a few sheets each roll. All in all, not as good value as before. :mad:

Somehow I can't see things getting any better so we're all going to have to be even more careful with the pennies.

Serendipitious

Glad wrote: »

very poor show by big companies :mad: as you say a lot of people would just pick up their usual items and not notice

there was a news article on the MSE Main Site about this earlier in the year

Shoppers short-changed by 'shrinkflation' as packets get smaller – how to beat it and keep costs low

including Malteasers previously 121g in a box, now 103g in a box! as the box is the same size, only people actively checking the weight would realise

You were lucky to get 103g Maltesers in a box...

I bought a box today - now 100g.

strawberryfield2233

What really gets me annoyed is how much well know chocolate bar sizes/shapes have been messed with and shrunk. I still have not recovered or eaten a Toblerone since they now have stupid gaps between triangles, I thought it was a joke at first sadly not I know that there is a school of thought that smaller bars/less calories etc but for people like me that means you just dont eat one do you ?! Manufacturers I am convinced know this hence why more mini sizes its win win. Bring back proper sized bars I actually would pay more.

Serendipitious

On the same note, I always thought Kleenex ManSize Tissues (black/grey box) were 3ply. I'm pretty sure they were 3ply a few years ago, as I used to help out a friend with her shopping and she said that's why she preferred them.

Bought a box of ManSize the other week and they seemed harsh. Looked on the box and it said they are 2ply.

(Kleenex Original (blue box) are still 3ply.)