Albuquerque Journal

You’re not imagining it — package sizes are shrinking

‘Shrinkflat­ion’ is accelerati­ng worldwide, but it’s not new

- BY DEE-ANN DURBIN

It’s the inflation you’re not supposed to see.

From toilet paper to yogurt and coffee to corn chips, manufactur­ers are quietly shrinking package sizes without lowering prices. It’s dubbed “shrinkflat­ion” and it’s accelerati­ng worldwide.

In the U.S., a small box of Kleenex now has 60 tissues; a few months ago, it had 65. Chobani Flips yogurts have shrunk from 5.3 ounces to 4.5 ounces. In the U.K., Nestlé slimmed down its

Nescafé Azera Americano coffee tins from 100 grams to 90 grams. In India, a bar of Vim dish soap has shrunk from 155 grams to 135 grams.

Shrinkflat­ion isn’t new, experts say. But it proliferat­es in times of high inflation as companies grapple with rising costs for ingredient­s, packaging, labor and transporta­tion. Global consumer price inflation was up an estimated 7% in May, a pace that will likely continue through September, according to S&P Global.

“It comes in waves. We happen to be in a tidal wave at the moment because of inflation,” said Edgar Dworsky, a consumer advocate and former assistant attorney general in Massachuse­tts who has documented shrinkflat­ion on his Consumer World website for decades.

Dworsky began noticing smaller boxes in the cereal aisle last fall and shrinkflat­ion has ballooned from there. He can cite dozens of examples, from Cottonelle Ultra Clean Care toilet paper, which has shrunk from 340 sheets per roll to 312, to Folgers coffee, which downsized its 51-ounce container to 43.5 ounces, but still says it will make up to 400 cups. (Folgers says it’s using a new technology that results in lighter weight beans.)

Dworsky said shrinkflat­ion appeals to manufactur­ers because they know customers will notice price increases, but

won’t keep track of net weights or such small details as the number of sheets on a roll of toilet paper. Companies can also employ tricks to draw attention from downsizing, such as marking smaller packages with bright new labels that draw shoppers’ eyes.

That’s what Fritos did. Bags of Fritos Scoops marked “Party Size” used to be 18 ounces; some are still on sale at a grocery chain in Texas. But almost every other big chain is now advertisin­g “Party Size” Fritos Scoops that are 15.5 ounces — and more expensive.

PepsiCo didn’t respond when asked about Fritos. But it did acknowledg­e the shrinking Gatorade bottles. The company recently began phasing out 32-ounce bottles in favor of 28-ounce ones, which are tapered in the middle to make it easier to hold them. The changeover has been in the works for years and isn’t related to the current economic climate, PepsiCo said. But it didn’t respond when asked why the 28-ounce version is more expensive.

Likewise, Kimberly-Clark — which makes Cottonelle and Kleenex — didn’t respond to requests for comment on reduced package sizes. Proctor & Gamble Co. also didn’t respond when asked about Pantene Pro-V Curl Perfection conditione­r, which downsized from 12 fl. oz. to 10.4 fl. oz., but still costs $3.99.

 ?? DEE-ANN DURBIN/ASSOCIATED PRESS in ?? Two boxes of Kleenex tissues are displayed Ann Arbor, Mich., on May 25.
DEE-ANN DURBIN/ASSOCIATED PRESS in Two boxes of Kleenex tissues are displayed Ann Arbor, Mich., on May 25.

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