shrinkflation
nounEtymology Blend of shrink + inflation. Popularized by American economist Pippa Malmgren.
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Economics, Sciences Informal, Neologism The practice of making products smaller while continuing to market them at the same price.
- Chocolate bars are just the thin end of the wedge, though, and shrinkflation is happening in products right across the board.2016, Andy Dawson, Get in the Sea!: An Apoplectic Guide to Modern Life, page 106:
- According to the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS), shrinkflation most commonly affects food, drink and household products such as toilet rolls, nappies, tissues and washing-up liquid.2021, Rosalind Masterson, Nichola Phillips, David Pickton, Marketing: An Introduction, page 489:
3 more examples
- Major cereal brand Kelloggs has also been accused of shrinkflation. Since 2019, the company had moved from selling 670 gram Crunchy Nut boxes for $6 to selling 640 gram boxes at $9 a pop, Choice found.2022 May 18, Caitlin Cassidy, “Shrinkflation bites: popular food brands quietly downsize while charging same price or more”, in The Guardian:
- Consumer groups say shrinkflation is a widespread practice, which supermarkets like Carrefour are also guilty of in their own-label products.2023 September 14, “Carrefour puts ‘shrinkflation’ price warnings on food to shame brands”, in The Guardian, sourced from Reuters, →ISSN:
- A similar thing happens for shrinkflation or skimpflation. While they may be legitimate strategies to preserve margins, consumers increasingly interpret these moves as deceptive, particularly when they are not openly acknowledged.2025 June, Els Breugelmans, Katrijn Gielens, “Navigating retail volatility”, in Journal of Retailing, volume 101, number 2, →DOI, page 156:
- Related terms
- cheapflation, grocery shrink ray, skimpflation