You're Not Imagining It; Shrinkflation Is Real

[ck4829]

Cookie Monster recently complained on social media that his favorite food was getting smaller. "Me hate shrinkflation!" the fuzzy blue monster declared. "Guess me going to have to eat double da cookies!"

President Biden promised to sign a bill banning it during his State of the Union address.

Shrinkflation isn't new. It's been happening for years. But people seem to be paying more attention right now amidst high food prices and inflation. And the White House is clearly aware of that.

After years of rising prices, many Americans are fed up with paying more and getting less. Will the pendulum ever swing back?

https://www.npr.org/2024/03/13/1198910739/consider-this-shrinkflation-is-real

[brush]

1. It's true. Ice cream used to come in pint containers of 16 ounces...

those same containers, same branding and graphics, are now 14 ounces. You notice it's slightly smaller, but there's nothing you can do.

[Think. Again.]

3. Nothing we can do?

Any market depends on supply and demand.

If we stop demanding ice cream at this price, the supplier will have to make the price more appealing if they want to actually sell it.

[brush]

4. We could do that, but I doubt they'll replace the 2 missing ounces.

[Think. Again.]

5. Well, I guess if they're not willing to give up the profit of 2oz...

...and would rather go out of business, there's always the home ice cream machine manufacturers.

[ck4829]

10. We landed on the moon and ended smallpox, I think we can do something about this too

Or are we just content with not doing anything? Just lay back and accept abuse after abuse?

[brush]

11. What do you suggest? I'm listening.

[brush]

12. Carry on as best as possible. The damage is done.

Hope Garland has the good sense to resign on the first day of Joe's second term as IMO he hasn't done a good job.

We had a nationally televised coup attempt and none of the principal planners, especially trump, have been tried more than 3 years later.

We all saw it.

[Think. Again.]

2. Cookie Monster should have said...

"Guess me going to have to eat pay for double da cookies!"

[no_hypocrisy]

6. Coffee

30+ years ago, you could buy a three-pound bag of coffee beans at the A&P for $4.99 on sale. Then it was $4.99 for two pounds. Last time I looked less than a pound for $5.99.

Same with canned ground coffee. 36 ounces for $4.99. Now it's 10 ounces for $5.99.

[Think. Again.]

7. And profit margins are soaring.

[Wuddles440]

9. That's true...

and you also need to adjust for the cost of money over 30 years. $4.99 in 1994 is equivalent to $10.38 in 2024. Using your example the price per pound now should be around $3.46, so it's roughly doubled in price during that time frame.

[Alliepoo]

8. It even trickles down to local businesses (or so they say)

At our “locally owned” Dairy Queen as the recorded greeting says, a box of 6 Dilly bars used to be $6.99 before Covid. When the Covid supply chain issues began they raised the price to $9.00 citing the supply issues. So-a pretty big jump but at the time I suppose it wasn’t questioned all that much. I stopped at the DQ drive thru a couple of days ago for Dilly bars and a small milkshake for my grandson who is sick and the total was $17.65. Thinking a mistake was made I asked at the window and the girl told me the price of Dilly bars is now $13.65. I asked if there were more bars in the box and she said there are still 6 bars. I was gobsmacked. She said their supplier raised prices so they had to raise prices. I think that’s a pretty hefty price hike and Dilly bars have doubled in price over these last 4 years. I know I won’t be buying Dilly bars any more.