Downsizing / Shrinkflation – Page 7

Updated every Monday! Subscribe to free weekly newsletter.

Everyone’s Complaining About Toothpaste!

March 27, 2023March 27, 2023 by Edgar (aka MrConsumer)

Over the past several months, we have received more complaints about toothpaste than any other product category.

The first complaints are about the consistency getting thinner.

I believe that toothpaste has been diluted from how I remember it to be. My recollection is having to use some effort squeezing the paste out of the tube. Now it seems like it’s barely a paste… –Ralph

CREST toothpaste pro-health 4.6 oz doesn’t say PASTE anymore and its consistency is more liquid and diluted than before. –Danilo D.

And of course, there are examples of shrinkflation.

*MOUSE PRINT:

We had purchased a multi-pack of Crest brand toothpaste at Costco, probably over a year ago. We did so again recently. Note the difference in net weight. –Paul R.

Verner E. also had a complaint about the new smaller Crest tubes from Costco.

I purchased a package of 5 tubes from Costco. When I used the first tube it felt like there was a lot of air in it. Same with the 2nd tube. The next tube I did an experiment by weighing the full tube and then subtracting the weight of an empty tube. I discovered that the contents only weighed 4.5 oz. while the tube advertises a net 5.2 oz. This is only 86.5 % of what is advertised on the tube. I called P&G to notify them of this rip-off but all they wanted to do was send me a coupon .

Here are additional “more air in tubes, less paste” complaints.

The photo attached is of a Crest Toothpaste tube after one squeeze which released about a pea sized amount of paste. It took many squeezes to get the toothpaste to the opening. Apparently the top third was filled with air. –CV

When half used, you will notice air pocket in center of tube. — Kevin & Margaret C.

I’ll add my own complaint about a sample of Crest Gum Detoxify that I got from my dentist. It made the soft bristles on my toothbrush stiff!

We asked P&G, the maker of Crest, to comment on these complaints, but they did not.

Feel free to chime in with your toothpaste gripes in the comments.

Updated every Monday! Subscribe to free weekly newsletter.

Here We Shrink Again – Early Spring 2023

March 20, 2023March 20, 2023 by Edgar (aka MrConsumer)

Since the New York Times story about shrinkflation, we have gotten many more tips than usual about products downsizing. So, here is another round of them.

Green Giant Frozen Vegetables

Mark H. reported to us that in late summer he noticed various varieties of Green Giant frozen vegetables had downsized from 10 ounces to only eight, yet they still claimed two (skimpy) servings. Sure enough, most of their varieties are now only eight ounces.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Green Giant veggies

Duke’s Mayonnaise

Historically, mayonnaise came in quart-size jars, but in 2006, Hellmann’s introduced the 30-ounce size to replace that. And almost everyone else followed suit sooner or later. Not Duke’s. It refused to downsize and trumpeted that fact on their label noting that it was still 32 ounces. But Duke’s acknowledged on their website that last September that jar was now 30 ounces. Of course, the new jars are not labeled “now 30 ounces.” Thanks to Whit W., Richard G., and Steve E. for submitting this change.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Duke's mayo

Goodman’s Macaroons

Just in time for Passover 2023, the traditional 10-ounce can of Goodman’s macaroons has morphed into a nine-ounce bag. A customer service rep for the company confirmed the product has been reduced by 10-percent. Other brands still come in the familiar 10-ounce size but are moving to bags also.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Goodman's macaroons

Pepperidge Farm Cookies

Several varieties of Pepperidge Farm cookies have been reduced in size repeatedly over the years. Thanks to Joan D. and James M. for raising this issue. Here is one such change where Milano cookies went from 6.25 ounces to just six.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Pepperidge Farm Milano

Dove Body Wash

Unilever seems to be nickel and diming customers with repeated reductions in the size of their Dove body wash. In this case, it has gone from 24 ounces to 22 ounces to now just 20 ounces. And reader Joyce M. lamented over a year ago, that so much lotion sticks to the inside of the 22-ounce Dove container, that she cut one open and has gotten two extra weeks of use just from the residual lotion.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Dove Body Wash

Werther’s Original Hard Caramels

Candy is one of the categories of products often subject to shrinkflation. Darnell K. wrote to us about Werther’s hard candy resenting their product shrinkage and saying the practice is just plain shady. Here, their large size went from 34 ounces down to 30 ounces. It is unclear when the change occurred but likely it was a while ago.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Werther caramel

If you spot a product that has been recently downsized, please take a sharp picture of the old product and new product side-by-side (old on the left) with the net weight or net count showing. You can email it to Edgar (at symbol) ConsumerWorld.org . Thanks!

Updated every Monday! Subscribe to free weekly newsletter.

Here We Shrink Again:
More Products Downsize – Winter 2023

January 23, 2023January 23, 2023 by Edgar (aka MrConsumer)

It may be a new year, but companies are still up to their old tricks of making products smaller in order to pass on sneaky price increases to shoppers (“shrinkflation”).

Turkey Hill Ice Cream

This is a big one. The major brands of ice cream last did a major downsizing 15 years ago when Breyers, Edy’s and others took a full cup out of their 56-ounce containers and made them 48 ounces. Now Turkey Hill is dropping two additional ounces making their containers 46 ounces.

*MOUSE PRINT:

But instead of clearly marking the containers with the new number of ounces, they chose to only use the odd number 1.44 quarts. We asked the company’s PR firm three times about that, why they are making this change, and whether they think the industry will follow suit. We did not get a response. A call to their consumer relations department did provide some insight. The representative said because of the high cost of some ingredients a decision was made to make the containers a little smaller rather than to tinker with the recipe. Thanks to Sam L., Jim, and Steve K. for also catching the change.

Crisco Vegetable Oil

Oil has come in predictable-size containers for decades like 24 oz. 32 oz., 48 oz., etc. Now Crisco is breaking away from the mold taking out a full cup of oil from each bottle, but on the shelf you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference.

*MOUSE PRINT:

So, only if you turn the bottles sideways would the new slimmer bottle become evident. And they cleverly put the number of ounces on the side of the bottle so you can’t see if from the front. We can only wonder if Wesson and other brands will soon follow suit. Thanks to Mike K. and Jack K. for pointing out this change, and to Janet M. for the profile picture.

Aldi Green Beans

Store brands are not immune from shrinkflation. Here is an example of canned green beans from Aldi. Each can was reduced by half an ounce. Remember when canned veggies were a standard 16 ounces?

*MOUSE PRINT:

Sabra Guacamole

Chris J. sent in this tip about Sabra Guacamole going from a standard eight-ounce container down to just seven ounces. He said the package size looks the same size, but the new container has a resealable lid.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Sabra Hummus

Stella Artois Beer

Bottles of Stella Artois, a Belgium beer, have been 11.2 ounces for several years instead of the more typical 12 ounces for American beers. Their cans appear to be following suit, but many websites still show pictures of the old 12-ounce size. It is unclear when this change took place. Anheuser-Busch did not answer our inquiries.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Stella Artois beer cans

Colgate Total

Colgate Total Deep Clean paste has downsized from 5.1 ounces to 4.8 ounces. We did not find old and new boxes in stores side-by-side, but typically these days box sizes tend to exaggerate the actual contents.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Colgate Total

If you find a product that has been hit by shrinkflation, please take a side-by-side picture of the old and the new product, with the net weights showing and email them to Edgar (at symbol) ConsumerWorld.org . Thanks.