Retail

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Snap, Crackle, Poof: Kellogg’s Downsizes

Joining the ranks of products being downsized is an array of Kellogg’s cereals, including Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Fruit Loops, Cocoa Krispies, and others.

Apple Jacks

*MOUSE PRINT: Though the boxes look identical head-on, the new box of Apple Jacks has two cups less of cereal.

How did they do it? The new boxes are narrower:

Apple Jacks side

The new version will also be 10 calories slimmer to your waist line. High fructose corn syrup was replaced with more apple juice concentrate (reducing sugar), and salt was also decreased.

Both boxes cost $3.49 during the week of July 6. That works out to 31.7 cents an ounce for the old larger box, and 40.1 cents an ounce for the new smaller one. That is a 26.4% price increase. Had the product been kept the same size, its new retail price would have climbed to $4.41.

Why did Kellogg’s downsize?  The company was refreshingly candid in their response:

“This package change is considered a price increase, in that box size is smaller. The reason for the price increase is the rising costs of ingredients and transportation. “

Consumers would clearly notice a price increase of almost a dollar, but the subtle change in packaging may go unnoticed. And even if shoppers did realize they were getting 2.3 ounces less in the box, they would not likely equate that with a nearly one dollar price hike.

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Sparkle Paper Towels: “Giant” vs. “Big” Roll Reversal

Sparkle

Scanning the supermarket aisles last week, MrConsumer spotted a display of Sparkle paper towels. Some of the single roll packages were marked “Giant Roll” and some of them were marked “Big Roll.”

While the pattern on the towels was the same, and the price was the same, the UPC codes were different. Was one replacing the other?

A quick look at the fine print revealed the difference:

*MOUSE PRINT:

Sparkle

The question was which product was the new one?  As it turns out, the smaller “giant” roll is the new one with six fewer sheets, while the larger “big” roll is the old one.  Who would ever think that the “giant” roll was smaller than “big” roll?

Noting the incongruity between the size names and actual sizes, MrConsumer asked Georgia-Pacific, the maker of Sparkle, the following questions:

“What happened, and why the change, and why the change of name?”

They responded:

Thank you for contacting the Georgia-Pacific Consumer Response Center. Georgia-Pacific places tremendous importance on the feedback we receive from our consumers.

Periodically we change packaging due to marketing decisions, along with other trends in the marketplace. We certainly attempt to keep our packaging fresh and new. Thank you for being a loyal Sparkle Towel user. I certainly hope this information helps and have a great day!

Nothing like a non-answer.

Next time they downsize, maybe the new package will be called “Gargantuan”.

UPDATE: A physical count of the number of sheets on each roll revealed that BOTH had identical amounts — 92 sheets per roll — more than the label indicated. Go figure.

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Ice Cream Scoop: Major Brands Downsize Again

A few years ago, the major ice cream makers downsized their half gallon containers to 56 ounces. It took a while for many consumers to catch on to the change, and once they did, shoppers were not happy.

Now we are right in the middle of another downsizing by the ice cream industry. Check your grocer’s freezer case, and you are likely to find both the current 56 ounce container of ice cream along side the new size.

*MOUSE PRINT: Some manufacturers like Breyer’s are introducing containers that are 48 ounces, down a full eight ounces, and the price has remained the same.

Breyers

You will notice the change in package is very subtle. The new one is tapered more along the sides, but is the same height. When asked why the company downsized their product again, Breyer’s said:

“Breyers has always taken great pride in offering the highest quality products at reasonable and fair prices. Recently, the price of all of our ingredients, most of all the fresh cream we use in our products, has gone up dramatically. Manufacturing and transportation costs also have increased significantly with the surge in fuel oil prices. Because of these economic conditions and in order to remain competitive, Breyers® made the difficult decision to reduce the size of our basic pack to 48 ounces.”

Edy’s ice cream is also in the middle of downsizing their products as well.

*MOUSE PRINT: The original half gallon became 56 ounces, and now it is down again to 48 ounces — a full two cups less than the original size.

Edy's

The new container is shorter, but that is only obvious when you see them side by side. Only during the time of transition are you likely to see both in the freezer case together.

Like Breyer’s, Edy’s said they continue to experience increases in costs for energy, dairy, etc., and wanted to continue to offer their product at a “familiar price”. When I asked why they don’t call attention to the fact that the package now contains a cup less of ice cream, the company representative said the quantity is clearly marked on the product and there was no intent to deceive.

Both manufacturers kept the price the same, it appears, and the UPCs on the products did not change either.

As we have said many times, downsizing is sneaky way to pass on a price increase because the change is often not obvious, but you are getting less for your money.