Shrinkflation: how to spot it, and beat it

You’re not imagining it — the chocolate bar, the crisp packet, the roll of kitchen towel really did get smaller. It’s called shrinkflation: less product for the same money, which is a stealth price rise that never shows up as a price rise. Here’s how it works and the one trick that makes it visible instantly.

What is shrinkflation?

It’s when a product shrinks in size or quantity while the price stays the same — so you pay the same money for less, without an obvious price increase.

Manufacturers use it because shoppers notice a price going up far more than a pack getting slightly smaller. A multipack drops from six to five, a chocolate bar loses a few grams, a family pack quietly slims down. The shelf price looks unchanged, so it feels like nothing happened — but your cost per gram just went up. Its cousin, skimpflation, keeps the size but swaps in cheaper ingredients.

How do I spot shrinkflation?

Ignore the pack price and read the small print: the price per unit (per 100g, per litre, per sheet). That number strips out the packet size and shows the true cost.

Every shelf label in Ireland shows a price per standard unit — per kg, per 100g, per litre, per 100 sheets — usually in small print under the main price. That single number is shrinkflation’s kryptonite: it lets you compare a shrunk branded pack against a bigger own-brand one honestly. Train yourself to glance at the per-unit price, not the sticker, and the deals that aren’t deals fall apart instantly.

How do I actually beat it?

Buy on price-per-unit, favour own-brand and bigger formats where you’ll use them, and don’t assume family-size or multipack is better value — check.

Three habits: 1) compare per-unit prices, always; 2) lean on own-brand, which is usually better per-unit value and less prone to quiet shrinking; 3) don’t trust the words on the front — family, value, multipack and bigger are marketing, not maths. Occasionally the small pack is cheaper per gram than the big one. The per-unit price never lies.

General information, not financial advice. We take no money from any supermarket. Prices and offers vary by store, week and region — always check in store.