‘Shrinkflation’ Is Downsized Grocery Trend Our Fat Asses Just Hate

If you thought inflation was bad, just wait until you hear about “shrinkflation.” It’s a grocery store trend that we hope doesn’t last long because it affects our ability to be fat asses.

You know inflation causes prices to increase, and you’ve likely been hit by some astronomical totals in the grocery store checkout line (or in your online delivery app if you’re the kind of person who can’t be bothered to shop for their own groceries). But you might not have noticed that in a lot of cases, the quantity or size of the products you’re purchasing are decreasing – but the prices aren’t. In fact, some brands are charging you more for less.

According to Consumer World, brands such as Chobani, Doritos, and Sun Maid are guilty of this practice.

“Manufacturers tell me when they face increased costs of raw materials or the price of gasoline goes up making it more expensive to ship their goods to the store, they are under pressure to either raise prices or downsize their products. And sometimes they may do both,” Consumer World’s founder and editor Edgar Dworsky told NBC News senior consumer investigative correspondent Vicky Nguyen. “It’s a sneaky way to pass on a price increase.”

While this practice has been around for quite some time, it’s becoming more rampant now. The biggest offenders are often paper product companies – because who, really, is double-checking how many squares of toilet paper or how many paper towels come on a roll?

Where it really hurts is when some of our favorite foods – cheese, ice cream, chips – start coming in smaller and smaller packages. Of course, if you’re trying to lose your Quarantine 15, this discreet downsizing could be a good thing. But if you’re like us, you’re just going to eat an entire bag of chips and hate yourself for being such a glutton afterward.

Cover Photo: Dan Dalton (Getty Images)