No Price Change, but Smaller Quantity (frozen, coffee, cream, consumers)

[RDSLOTS]

Pretty sneaky of Breyer's Ice Cream -- the change in the carton is so subtle until most consumers will probably miss it, like my husband and I did . . . the shape, and the smaller amount. I was serving ice cream for some company last night, and as I was putting the carton(s) back in the freezer, I noticed the change in the shape of the thing -- it tapers ever-so-slightly at the base, and when I looked, it only held 1.5L as opposed to the previous 1.75. I knew ice cream really was no longer a half gallon, but this was clever on Breyer's part.

My husband picked up the two 'half-gallons' for me for dessert, so I haven't been to the grocery yet to see if this has happened to all ice cream cartons. Guess they thought it better just to reduce the amount than to go up on the price. I seem to have noticed this with several grocery items I purchase.

[seattlerain]

I've noticed too, and it has been in the news lately.

Shoppers beware: Products shrink but prices stay the same

[deerislesmile]

Edy's has done the same thing...

[BillyC64]

Everything is being downsized. It's not the only reason but fuel is an important contributer. Shipping is so high they need a higher quantity of items shipped to offset price per unit shipping cost increases. Make things smaller and get more on the truck! In college I remember some polls showing that Americans complain less about getting a smaller size for the same price than getting a price increase for the same size product. I believe it's because most of us don't pay attention until later then we say "this used to be bigger I think" then we grumble a little and go on with our lives. I'm still waiting for the gov. to allow the use of nominal sizes for liquids.... "This gallon of milk is only three quarts now but when it first came from the cow (before filtering and processing) it was a gallon." It's crazy,bad madness I tell ya

[CelticLady1]

Breyer's has been doing this for sometime, now. As has Edy's, as someone else noted, (although, the last time I bought any, Publix' own brand of ice cream was still the same weight). They're doing it to a lot of products. I noticed yesterday, when I bought a #50lb bag of dogfood, (Purina), guess what? It's now #44lbs! They just shaved off #6lbs, but I'm still paying the same price, (actually, now that I think about, I believe it's gone up some, in the last couple of months). I didn't even check my horse pellets, the last time I bought a bag. They're supposed to be #50lbs, as well. I'll have to look the next time I get some. It's just a really sneaky way of doing things; paying the same or more, for what we think are the same size packages or bags, or whatever, yet they very slyly shave off some of the weight!

[Nelly Nomad]

I started noticing it sometime last year. We make a lot of sandwiches in our house. A loaf used to make 10 sandwiches. Sometime last year, it started only making 8. Now we're down to 7 per loaf. And the slices are smaller. They used to be taller than they were wide; now they are wider than they are tall, but they are no wider than they used to be, just much shorter. So they are shorter and there are fewer of them, but the price has remained the same.

I noticed it in Cheerios boxes, too. They are the same height as they used to be but a heck of a lot skinnier (hmmmm wish I could say the same thing about me -- same height but much skinnier ).

I recently saw a news piece addressing this. I'm surprised it took the newsfolks so long to pick up on it. As the poster above said, it seems to be a not-so-subtle downsizing trick. I wonder if the companies thought no one would notice? Surely they can't think we're stupid ?

[RDSLOTS]

Isn't it odd how most of us will accept less in quantity as opposed to a price change? I got tickled over the Breyer's carton because it was ever-so-subtle, just a slight tapering-in at the bottom of the carton, while the lid and upper part remained the same. I guess that was one way too of keeping their manufacturing costs down as they didn't have to re-design the whole carton. Shortening the box-like carton would have probably been too obvious.

Before long, we will be buying quarts at the half-gallon price.

I noticed the size of the dog food bags awhile back. We usually buy 20 pound bags, and on one occasion, the bag came home from the store with hubby, and got set on the floor, and when I went to move it, I noticed a difference.

I would really get a good laugh if the stores started posted those sale signs, only this time they read something along the lines of "New! Smaller size! Same price!" or "Same product! New, stream-lined look!" or "More boxes will fit in your pantry now!"

"Our ice cream has been on a diet! It's now lighter!"

It could be the beginnings of an America-go-on-a-Diet Campaign. We'll help you.

[findinghope]

yep i noticed the same thing. a couple of months ago i tried a filled frozen pasta from aldi's and we liked it--especially on those days when we are short on time.
well the first couple of times we had enough for dinner and lunch the next day.
the past few times, only enough for dinner. no we were not eating more. i noticed the package was smaller and of course less pasta inside.
i have no way to prove it cause i dont remember how many ounces was in the first one...

[Badland wonder]

Coffee was one of the first to downsize. Remember it used to be a 3 lb can of coffee?
Old recipes that call for a certain can size are now difficult to use because of the change in amount within the can! Good news is: they are not fooling us!

[groove1]

You now have to check the unit price by the barcode on the shelf to find the best deal.