Marion Pellicano Ambrose
I went grocery shopping today and spent $118. I bought all the things I usually buy, spent about the same as I usually do (maybe a little more) but I noticed that I had fewer bags to carry. It made me wonder what was going on. At first I thought “Maybe the bag boy missed a few bags.”, but then I realized that I watched him pack and load my cart and everything went in.
When I was unpacking at home it finally came to me. While I was still paying the same price for things, the packaging they came in has mysteriously gotten smaller! It wasn’t easy to detect with some things until I checked the ounces on the package. Ice cream was easy, the ½ gallon carton now looks like it was made for a little girl’s play kitchen, but my mayonnaise bottle had 4 less ounces than before and the packaging read “bright new package, same great taste!” It may have the same taste, but they’re charging me the same amount of money and giving me less product. I could care less about the bright new packaging!
Once I noticed this, I started looking at other things in my pantry and refrigerator. I was shocked at the smaller amount of many of the things I buy, with no indication unless you read the label carefully and compare it to what you used to get. Some bags of cookies are still the same size, but have fewer cookies in them; the potato chip bag is the same but is only half filled. When did this all happen? And more importantly, why didn’t I even notice before now?
These days, I have more time on my hands. The kids are grown and in college, I’m not working a 60 hour week anymore, and I can afford to take my time when I shop. Up to now I had to sprint through the grocery store because I had a thousand things waiting to be done. I grabbed and flung whatever was on my list into the cart, raced through the checkout and shoved it all in the pantry and refrigerator when I got home. I never had time to look at the cost per ounce or the number of items in the bag. Realizing this made me angry. I felt like the food industry was trying to pull one over on people who were working hard to make a living and lacking in time to be diligent about what they bought.
I decided that from now on I will be a coupon clipping, label reading, give me a rain check asking patron who will not be taken advantage of again. I know the economy is bad and manufacturers have to make money too, but either bite the bullet and make only a zillion dollars this year instead of 2 zillion, or BE HONEST and let people see that you had to raise the price for goods. Here’s a novel idea - you can actually tell people that you reduced the size of your product so you wouldn’t have to raise the price. Is that too much to ask?
Having said all this, I feel better! It doesn’t change a single, blessed thing but I do enjoy a good rant once in a while! Happy Shopping!
FYI: In the first picture, the Frosted Flakes are 23 ounces. The Fruit Loops are only 17 ounces. Look the same,don't they?
ReplyDeleteThe Publix Ice cream is a full half gallon. Then Breyers is less,but at least you can see that it's a smaller package.
I hate the Grocery Shrink Ray. You are right- prices are skyrocketing and we are getting less for our money.
ReplyDeleteIt isn't just groceries. Have you seen a "Big" Mac lately?
ReplyDeleteI remember when my now sixteen-year-old son was in diapers, and Pampers changed their packaging and reduced the number of diapers in the package by 4. I drove all over town looking for the old packaging so I could stock up and save a little money. I remember being surprised that none of the other mothers I hung around with seemed to notice. But then I guess that is what the companies are hoping for - too busy looking at the new package that you miss the part about reduced content!
ReplyDelete