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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums4 ways your groceries are shrinking (CBC News)
Marketplace investigates how manufacturers reduce how much you getThink your grocery bags are lighter than they used to be? Youre not the only one.
Many Canadians are feeling the effects of rising food prices. And even if your grocery bill has not gone up, your money may not be going as far as it used to.
CBCs Marketplace found dozens of examples of products that got smaller, often in ways that are not obvious or are difficult for consumers to detect. While some packages contain less, the price often stays the same.
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If you buy a box of Red Rose tea, for example, youll get the same number of bags -- and cups of tea. But Marketplace found the 72-bag box got 18 grams lighter earlier this year, meaning theres less tea in every bag.
Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/4-ways-your-groceries-are-shrinking-1.3001602?cmp=rss&utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=webfeeds
There's a video at link. And yeah, I'm definitely noticing this - especially with the newer (smaller) coffee can sizes that are offered at the same cost of the older (larger) cans.
hobbit709
(41,694 posts)SickOfTheOnePct
(7,290 posts)Tuna used to be 6.5 oz...now I think it's 5 something.
ProdigalJunkMail
(12,017 posts)took an extra can...
sP
laundry_queen
(8,646 posts)and while most of it I already knew, the tea thing was new to me. WTF?
I've noticed TP especially. It has become so narrow, that on my mom's 'retro' TP holders from the early 80's you can nearly fit 2 rolls side by side. Here's a picture I took of the difference between Charmin rolls over several months and different stores:
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And also, while they talk about corporations creating a 'new look' for their product and shrinking the size hoping no one will notice, sometimes there is even more deliberate deception...some peanut butter or jam jars actually have a HUGE indentation in the bottom of the package. So the package looks exactly the same on the outside as it always has, but the amount has changed. You probably don't notice it though, because who looks at the grams/oz of product EVERY SINGLE TIME they buy it? So if you pick up the same size jar and it seems nothing has changed, you wouldn't notice it right away. But there is a huge indentation in the bottom taking up space making it seem like you get the same amount - but you don't. I wish the program would've touched on that.
Another thing that irritated me SO much was how they get the food corps' side of the story. "We have to, with costs going up those costs have to be passed along!" Except they don't mention that they also need ever increasing profit percents so that their shareholders stay happy making ever increasing amounts of money. It's too bad their shareholders are so greedy they can't give up a few grams per package so people who don't make millions like they do aren't dealing with less and less food for their dollar.
inanna
(3,547 posts)the indents in the bottom as well. Really notice that since I'm addicted to the stuff.
Very deceptive, you are right.
niyad
(113,550 posts)Mariana
(14,860 posts)Bullshit. They may have to raise prices, or reduce package size to keep the same price. They don't ever have to use deceptive packaging to try to fool people into thinking they're getting as much as they were before. They've been doing that for a long, long time.
In addition to the huge indentations on the bottom of bottles and jars, I've seen where they have the indentations along the side, where it's hidden under the label - often in addition to a large indent on the bottom.
laundry_queen
(8,646 posts)She was a marketing/PR person. I have a business degree, I know exactly what she was doing.
You are right, they are deliberately deceiving consumers. Absolutely unethical and immoral. It's pretty telling the food corps wouldn't come on camera to answer questions.
Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)Last edited Sun Mar 22, 2015, 04:01 PM - Edit history (1)
It's annoying to have to change the roll so frequently.
eppur_se_muova
(36,287 posts)And I'm sure the same was true of the previous change a couple of years ago. We've been buying the store brand of TP, for a few years, and it seems like it's mostly air now. Turns to confetti on contact.
WillowTree
(5,325 posts)They've been pulling this stuff for years & years. When was the last time you saw an actual half gallon of ice cream?
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)and, thankfully, they don't sell half gallon sizes . I don't buy ice cream often, but when I do I eat it until it's gone. A half gallon of B&J is dangerous
stopwastingmymoney
(2,042 posts)That a 'pint' of Haagen Dazs is now 14oz. I was after a particular flavor (coffee, it was good) but I think I'll stick with BnJ in the future.
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,337 posts)WillowTree
(5,325 posts)awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)now they are 14. Bacon used to be sold by the pound, now 12 oz packages are common. The prices did not go down, however.
Vinca
(50,303 posts)It's very annoying when you need 16 oz. and you can only buy a 15 oz. can.
AwakeAtLast
(14,133 posts)Which makes some of my Grandma's old recipes useless
gollygee
(22,336 posts)A cake mix is supposed to fill cake pans right.
starroute
(12,977 posts)When my kids were little, we'd figure 8 oz of spaghetti for the family -- which meant two dinners worth in one 16 oz box. When the boxes shrink, either you short-change your kids, or you have to use partial boxes to fill out the same amount. Major nuisance.
pangaia
(24,324 posts)Ever try the current Lea and Perrins Worchestershire Sauce?
It is NOT what it was yeas and years ago.
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)smaller than the past.
now, this one is really ok with me, cause just a little choc goes a long way. but wow.... incredibly small.
BumRushDaShow
(129,432 posts)They now have either 4 lb bags or 10 lb bags here. The apparent "excuse" was that rather than raise the price, they kept the price the same but gave you less.
Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)the higher price per ounce on the smaller container. You think you are getting the same old cost savings buying in bulk, but the larger container is now more expensive per ounce. Trickery, indeed.
fizzgig
(24,146 posts)and price per ounces for a different brands and sizes of the same product. i've found they do it a lot with cheese. makes me nuts.
Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)Walmart uses to fool the customers about actual cost of the products.
raccoon
(31,119 posts)rpannier
(24,337 posts)I noticed that when I bought bags in the 90's
Same sized bag, but more air
SoapBox
(18,791 posts)obvious.
Guess they are out to starve us to death and/or kill us with GMO's and pesticides.
Android3.14
(5,402 posts)What else should the food company do?
At least the package information is usually labeled correctly.
Because the Canadian dollar is weak compared to the US dollar, it simply doesn;t go as far as it used too. Same thing happened here a couple of years ago.
I'd at least like to see the corporations acknowledge the practice is going on through a commercial in which the food company simply explains what is happening.
Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)Shrinkage happens every year on a subset of products.
Response to inanna (Original post)
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PatrickforO
(14,587 posts)Their profits are eating up our food!