How the Sneaky Practice of ‘Shrinkflation’ Is Ripping You Off

It's a sneaky way that we are getting ripped off!

I understand that times are tough, but when companies are taking advantage of us on purpose we have to say something, right? Have you ever opened a bag of chips and said to yourself, "where are all the chips?" Or have you ever bought a box of something at the grocery store, got home and opened it up and been disappointed that the box was half empty? It happened to me the other day when I bought a box of fancy organic chicken nuggets. I paid like $9 for the box and there were only 11 nuggets in the damn box. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!

Nope, not kidding and according to News 10 there's a word to describe that exact situation. It's called "shrinkflation," and it means just like it sounds. Some companies are charging the same price for a product and putting it in a smaller package.

One consumer expert, Edgar Dworsky told News 10 that, "It’s a sneaky way to raise prices on shoppers, they know most shoppers are not going to realize it because shoppers are price-sensitive, price-conscious but they’re not net weight conscious." So the price stays the same, but the amount of product in the package is less than it used to be.

The Washington Post did some research on "shrinkflation" and have concluded that, “Consumers are paying more for a growing range of household staples in ways that don’t show up on receipts — thinner rolls, lighter bags, smaller cans — as companies look to offset rising labor and materials costs without scaring off customers.”

If you haven't noticed "shrinkflation" yet, next time you go shopping, pay attention to certain items you're buying, including paper towels, diapers, and potato chips, to name a few, and see if you are getting less for the same price. You most likely will be shocked and experts say shrinkflation will become more noticeable as inflation rises in the future.

Have you noticed shrinkflation with a certain product? Call or text us the product through the Wolf app.