After shrinkflation and cheapflation, brands and food manufacturers have developed a new insidious technique to increase the prices of their products. Be careful!
If you regularly shop, whether at a supermarket or a small local grocery store, you have probably noticed small changes to your favorite items lately, especially food products. Of course, with the general inflation over the past two years, almost all prices have increased significantly, including basic products (pasta, oils, flour, milk, coffee, chocolate, etc.). But beyond this very visible waltz of labels, subtle, almost imperceptible changes make you say that “it’s not like before”.
This is not an illusion. Because, to mitigate and mask the apparent effects of inflation, brands and manufacturers have developed several rather insidious techniques, already denounced by consumer associations. The first, known as “shrinkflation”, consists of reducing the quantity of product without lowering its price: everything seems unchanged on the packaging, but the price per kilo or liter is mechanically higher.
Another common trick is “cheapflation”. This time, it is the composition of the product that changes. Manufacturers modify the original recipe, using less expensive ingredients or diluting the noble components to reduce production costs, but always without touching the price. The product remains the same in appearance, but its quality has been lowered while its price is unchanged.
But a new, even more insidious technique is gaining ground. It has an equally evocative name: “stretchflation.” This time, it involves increasing the quantity of the product contained in a package, while increasing its price. The problem is that this price increase is not proportional to the increase in quantity.
Several examples of this new practice have been noted by Olivier Dauvers, a specialist in mass distribution. Aperitif biscuits from the Belin brand have gone from 1 euro for 100 g (i.e. 10 euros per kilo) to 1.29 euros for 110 g (i.e. 11.73 euros per kilo). Similarly, a pack of four McCain Buns sold for 2.93 euros for 400 g (i.e. 7.33 euros per kilo) has climbed to 3.99 euros for 460 g (i.e. 8.67 euros per kilo).
And these are just a few examples. As you will have understood, in all cases, it is the price per liter or per kilo that increases quietly, disproportionately. This tactic is based on the idea that the apparent increase in quantity defuses the vigilance of buyers, who have the impression of getting a good deal.
While all these techniques are perfectly legal, you should remain vigilant to avoid them, especially when you walk through the aisles of supermarkets. So, even if they seem unchanged, you should carefully examine the packaging, to note the weight or net volume of the product but also its composition. Above all, you should always look at the price of a product per kilo or per liter, even if it is displayed in a smaller number than the price of the item – and for good reason! And if you want brands to stop these detestable practices, stop buying their products and turn to MDD (private label brands), which are often equivalent and much cheaper.