The fact that the gingerbread tin has become 50 grams lighter compared to last Christmas or that the chocolate bag has shrunk by 75 grams is difficult even for the most price-conscious consumer to detect. When Matpriskollen has investigated packaging changes, they have discovered that the price often does not follow suit.
If the comparison price has risen, then we believe it is shrinkflation and not just a packaging change, says Matpriskollen's CEO Ulf Mazur.
Become more common
Shrinkflation is not only difficult to detect but also difficult to measure, notes Mazur. He says, however, that there have been very many packaging changes in the past two years and that more consumers are contacting them about it. He believes it is a consequence of the higher price level for food.
When a chocolate bag costs almost 60 kronor. Then there are many who back down and say, it's too much, and then it's normal to change the packaging size, says Ulf Mazur and adds:
Fundamentally, one doesn't want to cheat one's buyers, but on the other hand, one doesn't want to lose buyers either.
There are reasons
The fact that packaging is changed can also be an effect of them competing with each other and price-pressing similar products.
Then the manufacturer must come up with alternative sizes that are not directly comparable between stores.
It can also be a way to get products at different price levels into the same campaigns. However, it becomes difficult for the consumer to compare products. But the fact that packaging changes does not necessarily have to be bad for the shopper.
It may be wiser that one doesn't buy such huge packages of everything, but gets something that is a bit more reasonable in size.
