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More Groceries Hit By “Skimpflation” — Part 1

When manufacturers face higher costs that they no longer want to absorb, they are faced with three choices: raise the price, shrink the product, or reformulate it by using cheaper ingredients or less of the expensive ingredient.

We saw this last option recently with Folgers ground coffee when its maker fluffed up the grounds and claimed to get the same number of cups in their large canister despite it holding almost half a pound less coffee.

Now, over the next two weeks we’ll show you more examples of products that have been reformulated, or put another way, have been subject to “skimpflation” — shrinkflation’s evil cousin.

Conagra’s Attempt at Skimpflation Backfires

Smart Balance Spread

Smart Balance has long been a high-priced but superior tasting spread in part because of its relatively high fat content – 64-percent. Recently they inconspicuously changed that and now it is only 39-percent oil — an almost 40-percent reduction.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Smart Balance Spread

Clearly this was a cost-cutting move by Conagra Brands because water is now the primary ingredient. Even if they didn’t read the label, purchasers are tasting the difference and complaining bitterly about the new water-logged product. About 90% of the 800+ reviews on the Smart Balance website give the product one star.

“Horrible horrible horrible!!!! You ruined a perfectly great product that we have used for years and years!!!! And without any notice. Now we’re out of $8…”

“If I wanted to spread water on my toast I would of purchased a cheap margarine…”

“You could have at least printed on the packaging that it was a new formula.”

“Your reformulation of your Smart Balance spreads is a great example of dishonesty in the marketplace. You are adding water to these mixes to lower the manufacturing cost…”

“I’d throw it out if it wasn’t so expensive, but in the meantime maybe I can spread it on our dog’s biscuits….although not sure he would even eat it.”

Despite multiple requests, Conagra did not answer our questions about the product change. However, customer service representatives for the company have begun telling this to their customers:

Smart Balance comments

Wow, they are actually listening to customers and are going to bring back the original recipe spread. But is it possible that this multi-billion dollar company did not do a product test with consumers before launching the watered-down version and just waited to see if people would notice and complain?

So while the watery reformulated version is still on store shelves, we decided to help Conagra better communicate the changes in the product by creating a revised label for it that is just a tiny bit more straightforward. 🙂

Dumb Balance

Next week, we’ll have two more examples of skimpflation. If you spot a product that has been reformulated with cheaper ingredients, please send clear pictures of the old and new versions along with shots of the ingredients statements to Edgar (at symbol) MousePrint.org . Thanks.

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Beware Tricky Cereal Box Size Names

More and more companies are adding size names to breakfast cereal boxes, cookies, and chips. “Large Size,” “Party Size,” “Family Size,” “Giant Size,” and even “Mega Size” are now adorning product packages.

In a sense, this is a very clever ploy by manufacturers to teach shoppers to buy by size name rather than by net weight. So if you become habituated to buying “Family Size” Cheerios, that is what you will likely look for on the package the next time you shop. Of course, for manufacturers that shrink their products, if you only buy by size name you won’t notice content changes as readily.

On top of a move to using size names, some cereal makers have been slapping the name “Family Size” on ever smaller boxes to accommodate the introduction of “Giant Size” and even “Mega Size” products.

Post Honey Bunches of Sizes

Post joins other brands in putting size names on cereal boxes. The trouble is one brand’s “family size” could be another brand’s “giant size.” There is no uniformity. And worse, some makers are shuffling the names around like actual size didn’t matter any more.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Honey Bunches of Oats history

It appears that Post is downsizing their size names — moving them down a notch from a larger box to a smaller box. In this case, based on “best by” dates on these packages, Post’s “Family Size” for Honey Bunches of Oats was first 23 ounces. Then, in preparation for a name change, it removed those words from the package. Then a month later it moved the “Family Size” name to their 18-ounce box — five ounces less. All this was in preparation for Post renaming the old 23-ounce “Large Size” to the new 23-oz. “Giant Size.”

While the new, smaller “Family Size” box got significantly cheaper at Target in the above example, it was slightly more expensive on a per-ounce basis. And at a Stop & Shop in Massachusetts, the five-ounce smaller box was only a dime cheaper.

Honey Bunches at Stop & Shop

Post did not respond to multiple requests for comment about their size changes.

Kellogg’s Corn Flakes Size Shift

Another example of a company renaming its boxes and putting big size names on some smaller boxes is Kellogg’s. Here, just like the example above, the “Family Size” name which used to adorn the 24-ounce box of their Corn Flakes, has been relegated to the 18-ounce one. And the old “Family Size” box has been renamed “Giant Size.”

*MOUSE PRINT:

Kellogg's Corn Flakes

Kellogg’s did not respond to multiple requests for comment about their size changes, including to a challenge we made to their president’s recent comments when he said, “If we make it smaller, we make it cheaper.” In particular we asked if the cost per ounce remained the same in the new, smaller package. Of course it couldn’t because of the significant costs in redesigning the packages, etc.

Conditioning shoppers to buy products by the size name rather than by the size number (the actual net weight) is a scheme by manufacturers to desensitize us to the actual amount of contents in the package. Don’t fall for it. Actual size matters.

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Here We Shrink Again – Early Fall 2022

As inflation continues to take its toll on our pocketbooks, some product manufacturers pass on price increases the sneaky way by downsizing or shrinking their products (“shrinkflation”), tinkering with the ingredients (“skimpflation”), or playing packaging tricks. Here are some of the latest examples. Incidentally, just recently Merriam Webster added the word shrinkflation to its dictionary.

Charmin Ultra Strong Mega Rolls

Charmin finishes this round of downsizing by finally reducing the number of sheets on its red packages – the ultra strong variety. Mega rolls were reduced from 264 sheets to 242 sheets, and Super Mega went from 396 to 363 sheets. The packages below were $14.29 each, purchased in the same store, at the same time, and at the same price. Thanks to our ace shrinkflation sleuth, Richard G., for this find.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Charmin Mega 264-242

Peet’s Coffee

George C. discovered that bags of Peet’s coffee went from 12 ounces down to 10.5 ounces and the price went up. We contacted the company, and it said they made the change a couple of months ago, but kept the price the same. No matter, you are still paying more per ounce with the smaller bag.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Peet's Coffee

Natural Balance Adult Dog Food

Fido may be getting two pounds less in the big bags of Natural Balance adult dry dog food than previously. As often happens, the size reduction occurred at the time the company introduced a new package design. On the company’s website and at Chewy.com attention is called to the design change, but it is up to the shopper to notice the difference in net weight since it is not shown in their illustration [we’ve added it].

*MOUSE PRINT:

Natural Balance dog food

When customer service at Natural Balance was asked why they downsized, the company responded saying, “To offer more consistency in sizing across our portfolio, we are reducing our bag sizes slightly on this formula from 26lbs. to 24lbs.”

Seventh Generation Detergent

As with many laundry detergents, the size of the bottle changes occasionally. This time, the 100-ounce bottles of Seventh Generation downsized to 90 ounces. The bottles below were found in August at a leading supermarket, both scanned $15.99, but the old larger one was offered with an extra dollar off. Thanks to Mim E. for the tip.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Seventh Generation detergent 110-90

Cap’n Crunch

In another cereal downsizing, Grant O. reported to us in July that Cap’n Crunch peanut butter cereal was shrinking from 12.5 ounces to 11.4. So you lost about a bowl of cereal in every box, but the price stayed the same. Both boxes were priced identically in the store where found.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Cap'n Crunch

Huggies Diapers

For several months, consumers have been reporting that there are fewer diapers in some Huggies packages. We recently found these Huggies Snugglers that went from 96 in a box down to only 84. And both boxes scanned at the same $29.99 price.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Huggies

Suave Shampoo

The 30-ounce bottles of Suave Shampoo and their conditioner have been reduced by 25%, but the price has stayed the same. Recently they both were $2.49 at Stop & Shop supermarket in the Boston area. Interestingly, the product is still called “family size.” Perhaps the new product is meant for families where dad is bald.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Suave shampoo

Quaker Instant Oatmeal

Last year, Quaker reduced some flavors of their instant oatmeal packages. This year, some more flavors got the downsizing axe including 10 packet boxes of raisin, date and walnut oatmeal going to eight.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Quaker Raisin Oatmeal packets

To see them side-by-side, they look identical. Only if your turn them sideways can you see that the new boxes are narrower.

Quaker sideways

Next week, we’ll expose some packaging tricks used by other cereal makers, and the week after that we’ll spotlight some products that were recently subject to “skimpflation.”

If you find an item that has been downsized, please take a sharp before and after picture showing the net weight or net contents, and email it to edgar (at symbol) ConsumerWorld.org . Thanks.

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