shrinkflation

Shrinkflation is when a product gets smaller but the price stays the same: fewer chips in the bag, a thinner chocolate bar, a smaller bottle of shampoo. You pay the same and get less.

What shrinkflation means

It’s a quiet price rise. The box looks the same and the sticker hasn’t moved, but the weight on the label has dropped. Per ounce or per gram, you’re paying more. Companies do it because shoppers notice a higher price much faster than a slightly smaller package.

Its cousin is skimpflation: the size stays the same but the quality drops, like a cheaper ingredient in the recipe or fewer staff at the store.

How to spot it

• Check the weight or count on the label, not the size of the box.
• Compare the unit price (per ounce, per 100 g) on the shelf tag.
• Watch for “new look” packaging, which can arrive with a smaller amount inside.

Examples

• “Same price, way fewer chips. Shrinkflation strikes again.”
• “My favorite chocolate bar got shrinkflated.”
• “Check the price per ounce, not the sticker. That’s how you catch shrinkflation.”

Where it came from

It’s a blend of shrink and inflation. Dictionary.com credits the coinage to economist Pippa Malmgren or historian Brian Domitrovic. The word went mainstream when prices jumped in the early 2020s, and news coverage has since put everything from orange juice cartons to cereal boxes under the spotlight.

Is it allowed?

In most places it’s legal as long as the label shows the true amount. Consumer groups criticize it as misleading, while some economists defend it as a rational way to deal with rising costs when shoppers are very sensitive to price.

Related terms

• Pink tax: the extra women often pay for similar products.
• Vibecession: when the economy feels worse than the numbers say.
• Loud budgeting: saying no to spending out loud.
• Doom spending: spending to cope with bad news.

More money words are in our work and money slang guide.