Downsizing / Shrinkflation

Here are products that have shrunken in size as a sneaky way for manufacturers to pass on a hidden price increase.

Consumer World Celebrates 30 Years: 1995 - 2025  
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Tide Drops Ounces, But Number of Loads and the Dosing Caps Remain Unchanged

Tide has once again downsized some its bottles of detergent. The venerable 100-ounce bottle of original Tide that was reduced to 92 ounces in 2014, and then to 84 ounces last year, now has just gone down again to 80 oz.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Tide 84 oz to 80 oz

But miracles of miracles, it still provides enough detergent for 64 laundry loads, they say. Some water was probably removed.

We also discovered last week that the dosing cap fill lines seem to have remained the same on both the new and old bottles.

Tide caps

MrConsumer immediately thought “those sneaks” at P&G are tricking people into using more detergent than is necessary given the new formulation which should allow you to use less. One of our readers, Mitch M., also discovered the cap issue, but figured out what the company actually did.

In the tiniest type on the back label of the bottles, enlarged below, P&G changed the dosing instructions.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Tide dosing instructions

Rather than redesign a new cap, they just changed those unreadable instructions to use a certain amount less than the actual lines on the bottle. The old bottle, for example, said for medium and large loads to fill the cap to just below the line, and the new bottle says to fill it 80-percent of the way up the line. Amazingly, both the old and the new bottles had inaccurate fill lines on them.

How crazy is that? So we asked P&G why they didn’t update the cap with accurate fill lines each time they downsized Tide. The company did not respond.

Consumer World Celebrates 30 Years: 1995 - 2025  
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Here We Shrink Again – Fall 2025 – Part 2

We wrap up our downsizing series this week with more products that have been affected by shrinkflation.

Ziploc Sandwich Bags

The kids will have 10 fewer sandwiches from these boxes of Ziploc bags which have gone from 280 to 270.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Ziploc sandwich bags

Bounty Mega Rolls

Like toilet paper, paper towel manufacturers continually downsize their products. In this case, Bounty’s super big mega rolls went from 180 sheets on a roll to 164. Interestingly, the Bounty website has begun to have a number of recent complaints citing a significant reduction in the quality of their paper towels. Thanks to Brendan B. for this submission.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Bounty Mega Rolls

Viva Paper Towels

P&G is not the only paper towel maker reducing the number of sheets on its roll. Kimberly Clark has axed a dozen sheets off their triple roll packs of Viva. They are now down to 121 sheets. Thanks to Richard G. for spotting this.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Viva Paper Towels

Cascade Platinum Plus

Those big tubs of dishwashing pods are as big as ever, but the number of pods inside always seems to be changing. Cascade Platinum Plus now has 47 inside the old 52-pack size. The “new and improved” ones have kept that smaller number, at least for the moment.

Cascade Platinum Plus

SeaPak Shrimp

The old one-pound package of SeaPak Popcorn Shrimp lost two ounces, and is now down to 14 ounces.

*MOUSE PRINT:

SeaPak popcorn shrimp

Little Debbie Cupcakes

You used to get eight chocolate cupcakes in a box from Little Debbie, but now a quarter of them are gone, says Richard G.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Little Debbie cupcakes

Kellogg’s Raisin Bran

Some breakfast cereal makers seem to be making certain size packages for certain stores. For example, we are seeing some smaller sizes only available at drugstores or dollar stores. A case in point is Kellogg’s Raisin Bran. The 14.5 oz. version can be found at Dollar General for example, but not at most supermarkets. The 16.1 size and the 16.6 size seem to be at some stores and not others. And Walmart’s website has both of them at the same price. So, you have to check the net weight to know what you are really getting.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Kellogg's Raisin Bran

If you find a product that has recently been downsized, please take a picture of the old and new version side-by-side if possible and send it to: Edgar(at symbol)MousePrint.org . Thanks.

Consumer World Celebrates 30 Years: 1995 - 2025  
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Here We Shrink Again – Fall 2025 – Part 1

Shrinkflation seems to have slowed a little, but with the effect of tariffs on manufacturing costs, we probably can expect smaller products and higher prices soon. Here are some more products that have been downsized over recent months.

Honey Nut Cheerios

Even the biggest boxes of breakfast cereal can’t escape the shrinkflation chopping block. Earlier this year, General Mills inconspicuously lopped off more than two ounces from the mega size boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios. That’s two fewer bowls in every package.

*Mouse Print

Honey Nut Cheerios downsized

All Free & Clear Detergent

As other liquid detergents have downsized, so has All Free & Clear. Almost two cups was removed from the prior 88 ounce version, making the new one only 73 ounces. Yet, miracle of miracles, you still get 58 loads (supposedly) out of every bottle.

*Mouse Print

All Free & Clear detergent

Kroger Tall Kitchen Bags

Not to be left out of the downsizing frenzy are store brands. These Kroger tall kitchen bags lost five bags in every box. And probably the old 45-bag size had itself been downsized from 50 bags.

*Mouse Print

Kroger tall kitchen bags

Dole Juices

We have seen refrigerated orange juices go from 64 ounces to 59 ounces to 52 ounces and in some cases to 46 ounces. Joining the ever-shrinking juice brigade is Dole. Their apple juice (and some other varieties) have just been reduced from 59 ounces to 52 ounces. Ace shrinkflation spotter Richard G. discovered that Dole Orange Peach Mango also downsized, for example.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Dole Apple Juice

Ghirardelli Squares

Your dentist may be happy, but consumers probably won’t welcome getting two fewer chocolate squares in every bag of Ghirardelli dark chocolate mint. Now there are only 10 in a bag.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate mint

Reynolds Parchment Paper

Here is an item that you probably only buy every few years — Reynolds Parchment Paper. The old size was 50-square feet. Then they came out with a 45-square-foot version. But, the company says it added the smaller 45-square foot version to accommodate retailers who wanted to be able offer a lower price. Both versions are still available, but not at the same store. [This entry has been edited to clarify that point.]

*Mouse Print

Reynold 45 and 50 sq. ft. versions

Next week, we’ll show you a similar product-size variation with breakfast cereal whose net contents vary depending on what store you are in.

And, we’ll have part two with more shrinking products. If you find a product that has been recently downsized, please take a side-by-side picture of the old and the new and send them to Edgar(at symbol)MousePrint.org . Thanks.