It certainly is encouraging that inflation dropped in March. But, don’t be fooled President Trump. It’s smoke and mirrors. Retailers are playing tricks. And, I want to bring it to your attention.
Mulch
I bought some mulch at Home Depot today. They had their annual sale of five bags for ten dollars. I wait for the sale every year. When I got out to help the guy load the bags, I thought they felt awfully light. Oh well. Maybe I just got stronger since last year. Then I noticed how light they were again when I unloaded them at home. So, I looked at one of the bags. Sure enough, the bags contained 1.5 cubic feet of mulch instead of the traditional 2 cubic feet.
Yes. You can certainly blame me for not reading the details when I ordered the mulch. In my own defense, I have been doing this for years. So, I paid the same amount as the last ten years for less mulch this year. Sorry. In my opinion, that is deceitful. My lesson learned is that I need to check everything I buy now.
Shrinkflation
Shrinkflation is the practice of reducing the size of a product while maintaining its sticker price. Raising the price per given amount is a strategy employed by companies, mainly in the food and beverage industries, to stealthily boost profit margins or maintain them in the face of rising input costs.
This is what’s going on right now. I have seen other examples.
MyMochi
I’m an ice cream fiend. And, I love mochi, which is a piece of ice cream wrapped in a soft rice-based wrap. I’m particularly fond of a brand named MyMochi. But, this is an interesting case. They increased the price by fifty cents a package and decreased the size of the pieces. The pieces are about half of the size they used to be. I bought it when I had a coupon, and when I opened the box, the pieces sat in the bottom of the tray holes.
This is particularly deceitful because you can’t see inside the box. So, you have to be able to examine the net weight. But, you probably don’t have an old box to see what the net weight used to be. Like me. But, I have eyes, and I can clearly see the size difference.
Frozen Pizza
This is another situation where you can get bamboozled. Just like ice cream, I love pizza. Usually, I buy pizza with a coupon or when it is on sale. The last time I bought the brand I like most, I was excited. The box was the same size it has always been. But, when I pulled it out and put it on the baking sheet, it had plenty of room on the sheet. Ordinarily, I would have to work it around to fit it on the sheet. And, I usually end up saving a quarter of the pizza for the next day. But, not any more.
SmartOnes
SmartOnes are frozen meals from Weightwatchers. I have been buying them for about ten years. In the last couple of years, I noticed that the portions kept getting smaller. Now, my stomach growls an hour after I eat one. As an example, the enchilada meal used to contain two enchiladas that went from end to end in the tray. Not they are like two lost thumbs in the middle of the tray. There also used to be a good cup of rice. Now, it’s about five fork bites. I know this is Weightwatchers, but who gave them the right to decide that I need to lose even more weight while paying the same price?
Conclusion
I have to pay closer attention. I’m certain it’s not just these few examples. I know Secretary Kennedy wants us to be more healthy. But, I don’t think the food companies should take it upon themselves to provide us smaller portions. If they do, then their prices should be reduced accordingly. Some people think they are so smart that they can get away with this practice. It needs to end, and it needs to end today.