Food Manufacturers Are Giving You Less For The Same Price

Worldwide food stocks are dwindling fast. Here are some articles for those interested.

It is hard to spot what happened this year in the peanut butter aisles of local supermarkets. But a careful look at the jars of Skippy on the shelves may reveal a surprise. The prices are about the same, but the jars are getting smaller.

They don't look different in size or shape. But recently, the jars developed a dimple in the bottom that slices the contents to 16.3 ounces from 18 ounces -- about 10% less peanut butter.

The only way to know you are buying less is to look at the weight on the label and recognize it's lighter than before Unilever, owner of the Skippy brand, switched out containers.

Full story here

See also these articles:

Less cereal, same prices

Grocery Items: Same Price, Smaller Size

Raw Deal: The incredible shrinking cereal box

reply to post by warrenb

Worldwide food stocks are dwindling fast.

I think it is more related to the profit margins that are dwindling fast. I don't think this is the result of a peanut shortage. It is just a sneaky way to inflate prices.

hey i know, lets sell a candy bar the size of my pinky and charge the same price. no, wait. i know, lets fill a bag of potatoe chips with air and put 3 chips in and call it the big grab. i know, lets charge more and give less so that the pig out of the bag can run ammuck. pretty soon food will become more exspensive. so exspensive, you cannot afford it.
america is being cut off the money chain. who is in control now i wonder?
china, the money we borrow from. maybe our children and childrens children can become endentured servants
oh sir, can i borrow money from you so i can eat a peice of bread. ill work for you to pay it off, tho it may take a couple of weeks.
is this the america , you want? lets roast a pig, im hungry.

It has to do with everyone and their brother losing money.

Tyson foods has lost money for the past year. They have closed plants and made packages smaller. They started to lose money about the time they started to ramp up for higher sales. Things completely did a 180 on them and many other companies I am sure.

Tyson plants closing/closed
Boaz, Ala
query.nytimes.com...
Wilkesboro, North Carolina
www.tyson.com...
Norfolk, West Point
nebraska.statepaper.com...
York, Nebraska
www.wibw.com...
Emporia, Kansas
www.emporiagazette.com...
Oxford, AL
www.abc3340.com...
I am sure I could have added a lot more. But this gives you an idea all but one of these was this year alone. But even still this is 7 of their plants in the past year and a half to two years.

When you go to the store next time check out their new design of packaging. It looks bolder and brighter than it used to, it is also smaller. They took, I am going to guess, about two to five ounces out of their package if not more. Prior to this prices rose on the packaging by about $1 to $2 so you are now paying more for less than you did a little over a year ago.

The companies are not really out to rip you off, well not in the general sense. But they are trying to stay in business. Look at the number of places losing money as each day passes. Look at the number of jobs lost this year alone. They have to do something or all of us will be unemployed. Someone has to pay the cost difference when it involves money and loss.

Raist

Wal-Mart is famous for this.

I've been seeing this happen there for quite a while.

I've noticed cereal boxes are almost half the size they used to be. Hormel chili cans are smaller. Bar soap, not only are the bars smaller, but you used to be able to buy some brands in a 6 pack, now they are 3 pack. Seems like everything is getting smaller, but the price either goes up, or stays the same for less product.

This just reminded me, and if I remember correctly, buying cigarettes in Germany ( name brand American cigarettes) you would get 25 in a pack, rather than the 20 per pack sold in the US. I may be wrong about that, but that is what I recall.

[edit on 10-11-2008 by Clark W. Griswold]

Isn't there an authority that can control this type of thing?

Isn't it mandatory to put the quantity in the package?

Or is it that simply nobody cares?

Originally posted by ArMaP
Isn't there an authority that can control this type of thing?

Isn't it mandatory to put the quantity in the package?

Or is it that simply nobody cares?

Well that's the problem... Corporate America is the authority.

Food Manufacturers Are Giving You Less For The Same Price?

I looked up the term 'less' in the dictionary.

I think you meant to say this:

Food Manufacturers Are Giving You Less Crap For The Same Price

This has happened since forever...well at least 14 years ago when i worked at a grocery store in high school. I noticed it all the time.

Package would get just a bit smaller...cut an ounce here.. cut one there. Still pay the same. All prices have gone up..on everything and it may continue. The population isn't shrinking...it's exploding and food will only become more scarce.

Same is true with ice cream.

Price about the same, but the carton is smaller.

That's not nice.

This "sleight of hand trick" has been going on for longer than anyone truely has noticed. I am one of these consumers that spends the better part of 2 hrs. or more on my food shopping, simply because of these corp. magic tricks.

American consumers are so product trained and "hooked" on brands and in such a hurry to get the shopping out of the way, they just grab and run. When doing food shopping...READ the labels...

If you want more for your money, shop at grocery outlet food markets for the bulk of your food. A lot of it comes from Canada or Mexico, and some items from Europe. The cereal is still in decent size boxes, and there are a lot of two-fer boxes sold. When I can get a container of Quaker Oats for $.89 or a loaf of good bread at a $.45 cent savings, and gourmet cheeses at a $2.00 savings...I'd be a dummy not to take advantage.

~Holly

Originally posted by ArMaP
Isn't there an authority that can control this type of thing?

Isn't it mandatory to put the quantity in the package?

Or is it that simply nobody cares?

It is mandatory to put the quantity in the package that is stated on the package. There is no regulation that states the quantity on the package can not change.

If the quantity on the package says 32oz, and you only get 30oz then it is illegal.

If the quantity on the package said last week it was 32oz with 32oz in the package, and then the following week the package says 30oz with 30oz in the package, now that is perfectly legal.

It is also legal for the companies not to tell the consumer what is happening. It is up to the consumer to notice and make complaints. Most won't notice, unless watch dog groups or those who do create a major awareness of what is happening.

I would like to see the prices and the oz of each product each week from the beginning of the year to see exactly how many oz they detracted over the year. That would be a big project and a lot of time even if you started now until the end of next year.

You have to do your homework people and clarify your needs and wants and look at things with consideration before you pile it into the basket.

Check everything....packet sizes, quality, even the final reciept...and most importantly....do you need it?

And if you're one of those who loads your trolley to the brim with brand names and luxury items......you have no right to complain (to me anyway).

You are the consumer, you have a choice, and to say a food company is "loosing" money is fine BUT fact is, that company has probably been making profits from you (us) for years if not decades. No sympathy from here I'm afraid!

I'm fed up with unneccessary and wasteful packaging, high costs due to advertising, promotions and marketing and market research. I worked in advertising and packaging design for years and know just how much in the way of finance and resourses goes into these kind of things......brooke bond/lever brothers etc.

Greed, pure & simple in most cases.

I don't do brand names most of the time and I do fine. Yeah, simple in most peoples eyes but I made the choice ages ago and with that choice comes a certain satisfaction in knowing I don't waste food because I don't eat with my eyes.

YOU HAVE A CHOICE...don't let the TV or any other source make it for you!

BTW...peanut butter ....so damn easy to make.. ingredients: PEANUTS, that's it! or be lazy and a little less healthy and just pay for all the packaging, preservatives, unneeded salt and all the other crap they put into it!

[edit on 10/11/2008 by nerbot]

I'm going to link this thread to one a I made about the same thing just recently, I was told I was being paranoid....

Here in the U.K. the stores have to show everything with a price per weight label on the shelves as well as the price per item so I mostly look at how much things are per kilo or 100 grams (sorry about using metric, I hate the European measuring system, but that's how it's displayed). It amazes me that sometimes you pay more per kilo if you buy in bulk rather than individually. A lot of people I know just automatically buy bigger packs 'cos they think it'll always be cheaper but honestly, sometimes they're just putting one over on you. I've got all my friends an relatives into this one, even my mother has started doing it.

Tell me how I wasted my money at the gas station to buy some Sour Cream and Onion Ruffles, the bag felt full and I was hungry paid the 1.06 dollars and opened it. It was so empty I could count the amount of chips I just by looking probably just 14. Used to be like 30 - 35