You're experiencing a severe case of sticker shock while staring at an $8 price tag, which has become increasingly common as the cost of groceries continues to rise. It's also a particularly hard blow knowing that shrinkflation also means we've been getting less cereal in our boxes.
You're right it is smaller. The Terry's Chocolate Orange on shop shelves this Christmas weighs 12g less than it did this time last year. That's a decrease in size of 8% not as big a cut as when the product lost 10% of its mass in 2016, but a further whittling away of a favourite Christmas treat. Prices have been going up too, although it's been a series of increases.
When the price of an item stays the same, but you get less product for your buck, that's shrinkflation. Unfortunately, shrinkflation can be pretty tough to spot if you're not in the habit of holding on to old containers or tracking exactly how much product comes in a container. Luckily, people online (and especially in the r/Shrinkflation subreddit) are sharing the real-life examples of this sneaky tactic, and once you start noticing it, you'll likely find it much easier to spot. So, here are 22 infuriating examples of shrinkflation that people have shared in the last few weeks:
When it comes to fast food's biggest burgers, the prices are often stacked just as high as the patties. Hikes in fast-food prices and " shrinkflation" - a phenomenon in which people say menu items get smaller while either remaining the same price or costing more - are deterring customers, and chains have released meal deals aimed at luring them back.
I normally wait until the last minute to pick up candy for Halloween. This entails going to the supermarket during my lunch break on Halloween only to find that all of the Halloween-themed bags have already been replaced with Christmas ones. This usually leaves me with no option but to buy the only candy that normally comes individually wrapped in bulk: blow-pops and stacks and stacks of fun-sized chocolate bars. Beggars can't be choosers.
And if you don't get hit with higher prices, you might still wind up paying more due to shrinkflation, a tactic where companies quietly reduce the weight of a product, but not the price. The changes might be difficult for shoppers to detect, because this year's variety packs contain the same number of candy bars as they did in 2024. Both U.S.-based companies said their products may change due to changing customer preferences. Neither provided specific examples.
When it was first introduced to the market, it cost just a penny. But Ms Wadin, 74, said her dad was disgusted with how small it is now and how much they charge for it, adding: "He'd roll over in his grave if he could see it now; he'd be disgusted. It was a penny chocolate."
