Shoppers getting less for same cost
IF you’re a fan of Tiny Teddies, Shapes or Freddo Frogs, you would have noticed they all have one thing in common — they’ve shrunk.
Dubbed ‘shrinkflation’, more and more food companies are taking advantage of busy consumers by reducing sizes or numbers of products, yet keeping the price the same.
Independent economist Clifford Bennett said packaging changes were only noticeable to customers who read the fine print. “It tends to take advantage of the busiest consumers in society which are often mums juggling two kids off their hip, and they don’t have time to read the fine print,” he said.
Choice said most recently biscuit maker Arnott’s reduced the size of its multi pack Tiny Teddies and Shapes biscuits from 10 packs to eight, yet kept the price the same.
Within the past few years Red Rock Deli chips were reduced from 185 grams to 165 grams, Freddo Frogs shrunk from 15 grams to 12 grams and Doritos Corn Chips contracted from 200 grams to 175 grams.
Darwin mum Liz Grylls said she had noticed shrinkflation on several products at her local supermarket. “Everything seems to be getting smaller, I think that’s just how things are going,” she said.
Although her children Felix, 4, and Lucy Brown, 2, prefer bigger packets of Tiny Teddies, Ms Grylls said shrinkflation wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. “I actually think it’s a good thing the sizes are decreasing as it means they’re getting less sugar but I do think food companies should reduce the cost too,” she said.