Shrinkflation has become a household term in recent years, yet the phenomenon keeps intensifying. About one-third of roughly 100 common consumer products tracked by LendingTree have shrunk in size or servings since the pandemic, and consumers are taking notice. 77% of the consumers surveyed for Purdue University’s Oct. 2024 Consumer Food Insights Report said they noticed shrinkflation while grocery shopping over the month. While companies face legitimate cost pressures from rising raw materials and transportation expenses, shoppers are left paying the same or more for considerably less product. These changes often happen subtly, with packaging that looks identical but contains fewer sheets, ounces, or servings than before.
Toilet Paper
The worst offenders – household paper products, like toilet paper and paper towels, the personal finance firm’s analysis found, according to LendingTree’s research on shrinkflation. A 24-pack of Charmin Ultra Strong mega rolls rose in price to $26.48 from $23.82, and shrunk by more than 40 sheets between 2019 and 2024. The situation becomes even more concerning when you look at the historical data. Back then, Charmin’s regular roll had 650 sheets of single ply toilet paper…650, recalls consumer advocate Edgar Dworsky, who has tracked product downsizing for decades. Twelve mega rolls of Angel Soft toilet paper decreased significantly, shrinking from 429 sheets a roll in 2019 to 320 sheets in 2024. That’s a 25.4% reduction in size – the highest across the household products analyzed. The manufacturers aren’t just reducing sheet counts either. According to an NPR interview given by research analyst Steven Chercover, who specializes in the paper and forest industries, the actual dimensions of individual sheets have also decreased, making each square of toilet paper smaller than it used to be.
Breakfast Cereals
The cereal aisle has become a prime example of deceptive downsizing tactics. Breakfast foods had the second-highest rate of shrinkflation, with LendingTree finding that about 44% of the items they tracked were now sold in smaller portions. Family-sized Frosted Flakes, made by Kellogg’s, has slimmed from 24 ounces to 21.7 ounces, resulting in a 40% increase in per-ounce pricing, the analysis found. What makes cereal shrinkflation particularly frustrating is how manufacturers manipulate size labels to confuse shoppers. Now, the family size has shrunk to 18 ounces, but they added a new giant size at 23 ounces. Dworsky said Kellogg’s Corn Flakes had a family size of 24 ounces but has now shrunk that to 18 ounces as well, according to ConsumerWorld.org. Cocoa Puffs now come in at 18.1 ounces, instead of 19.3, one less bowl per box. But even worse, the company changed the box shape of cereal lines like Cinnamon Toast Crunch. These packaging changes make it nearly impossible for consumers to comparison shop based on memory alone.
Paper Towels
Paper towels have followed an identical trajectory to toilet paper, with manufacturers steadily reducing both sheet counts and dimensions. Household paper products saw the highest rate of change. In fact, 12 of 20 (or 60.0%) household products reduced their sheet count over the analyzed period, according to LendingTree data. According to a December 2023 report by Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, toilet paper and paper towels are 34.9% more expensive per unit than they were in January 2019, with 10.3% of the total cost increase attributed to shrinkflation. Consumer advocate Edgar Dworsky notes that manufacturers are betting on the fact that most shoppers won’t notice small changes in sheet dimensions or counts. According to Dworsky, toilet paper, alongside paper towels, is one of the products most affected by shrinkflation. His extensive collection of vintage toilet paper packages reveals a consistent pattern of reduction, not only in the number of sheets but also in the dimensions of the sheets themselves. The reduction affects how long a roll lasts in practical terms, meaning families need to purchase paper products more frequently than before.
Candy and Chocolate
The confectionery industry has aggressively embraced shrinkflation, particularly as cocoa prices have soared. About 38% of candy items are now sold in smaller amounts, including party-size Reese’s miniatures (35.6 ounces now versus 40 ounces in 2019-2020) and party-size milk chocolate M&M’s (38 ounces now versus 42 ounces previously.) The trend extends beyond just party-size packages. After digging up 2024 online ads for other Mars “fun size” packs, CBC News found several cases where the product had shrunk by weight this year – including a 16.8 per cent weight decrease for the 25-candy bar pack. CBC News discovered two major candy makers, Mars Inc. and The Hershey Company, reduced the weight of several of their Halloween chocolate bar variety packs this year. Data from CBC shows that Oh Henry bars, for example, have shrunk by 7.2 per cent since last year, Coffee Crisp by 10 per cent, M&Ms by 20 per cent, Kit Kat by two per cent, and Toblerone by 10 per cent. The price pressures are real, with global cocoa prices experiencing dramatic volatility, yet consumers are left holding the bag with less chocolate for their money.
