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President Joe Biden took to social media ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl to take a swipe at snack companies that give consumers less food for their money.
The phenomenon called “shrinkflation” — where consumer products become smaller in quantity, size or weight while their prices remain the same or increase — is a “rip-off,” Biden said.
“Some companies are trying to make a quick move by shrinking products little by little and hoping he doesn’t notice,” said Biden, who called on companies to end the practice.
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“Shrinkflation” is playing out in subtle ways as sports drinks get smaller, snack bags have fewer chips and ice cream cartons shrink in size, Biden noted.
“The American public is tired of being called idiots,” Biden said.
How inflation contraction and inflation are linked
Product downsizing is nothing new and has been happening since the 1950s, according to Edgar Dworsky, a consumer rights lawyer and founder of the website Consumer World, which has spoken out against inflation restraints for decades.
These tactics tend to become more prevalent in times of high inflation, Dworsky said.
As prices on grocery store shelves and elsewhere have soared, many consumers are now more sensitive to what they get for their money.
Shrinkflation videos have been trending on TikTok. Meanwhile, a 2022 Morning Consult survey found that 64% of all adults said they were worried.
The president is the new critic in Washington of restraining inflation.
In December, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., spoke out against the practice by releasing a report detailing its effects.
“This corporate greed is one reason Americans are frustrated with high grocery bills,” Casey said in a December statement.
According to Casey’s report, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, household paper products saw the largest jump, with a measured price increase of 10.3% attributable to tightening inflation.
Snacks were the next category, peaking at 9.8% attributable to tightening inflation; followed by household cleaning products, 7.3%; coffee, 7.2%; and sweets and chewing gum, ice cream and related products, each with 7%.
Dworsky said he currently has a list of about nine item changes that he has been tracking since December. One of his investigations last year found that consumers were left in disbelief at the number of chocolates in Valentine’s Day heart-shaped cardboard boxes.
“I hope with inflation coming down we will see fewer examples, but it will never go away,” Dworsky said.
How consumers can limit the effects of inflation restraint
The best approach consumers can take is to remain aware of the problem, Dworsky said.
For products you purchase regularly, monitor the net weight. If a tube of toothpaste goes from 3.9 ounces to 3.5, you might want to consider buying a competing brand that hasn’t scaled yet, Dworsky said.
Also keep in mind that gravitating toward certain product sizes with names like “fun size” or “family size” can lead you to purchase a product out of habit even after it has shrunk.
If you write a letter to the manufacturer to complain, you will hardly be able to convince him to go back to the old size, he said.
“You might get coupons in the mail, which is always nice,” Dworsky said.
Still, Dworsky said he was thrilled when Biden’s video aired Sunday.
“To see the president trying to educate the public about restricting inflation and calling on manufacturers to voluntarily reduce the practice, who could ask for more?” Dworsky said.