22 Real-Life Examples Of Shrinkflation That People Have Spotted In The Last Few Weeks That Are Honestly Infuriating

When the price of an item stays the same, but you get less product for your buck, that’s shrinkflation. Unfortunately, shrinkflation can be pretty tough to spot if you’re not in the habit of holding on to old containers or tracking exactly how much product comes in a container. Person holding an empty shopping basket in a grocery aisle, surrounded by shelves stocked with various products

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Luckily, people online (and especially in the r/Shrinkflation subreddit) are sharing the real-life examples of this sneaky tactic, and once you start noticing it, you’ll likely find it much easier to spot. So, here are 22 infuriating examples of shrinkflation that people have shared in the last few weeks:1. I might never have noticed the shrinkflation here if the store didn’t still have one of the old boxes on the shelf. Boxes of vanilla sandwich cookies on a store shelf, with a sign saying "Grab It Before It's Gone!" above 2. Et tu, Nutella? Two jars of chocolate hazelnut spread labeled with weight (450g and 400g) are placed on a textured surface

3. Not even your makeup is safe. Two Revolution highlighter compacts on a stone surface, with used and textured makeup visible

4. Sometimes, shrinkflation can be even sneakier, like when a product changes its formula. Take this juice, for example. The new formula is the same size as the old, but it has fewer vitamins and is a blend of just three juices instead of four. Two bottles of Naked Blue Machine smoothie showing different ingredient changes on labels. The bottles show altered vitamin and fruit content 5. Every square of this toilet paper just got what looks like an inch smaller. Two rolls of textured paper towels stand on a countertop, with a potted plant and window blinds in the background 6. And these wipes went from a 60-pack down to a 50-pack. Two packs of Shea-Coco goodwipes flushable wipes; one large pack and a smaller travel-size pack with a snap lid 7. These melatonin gummies went from 180 per jar to 140 per jar. Two bottles of Natrol Melatonin gummies, labeled to aid in faster sleep and waking refreshed. Strawberry flavor

8. The design of this instant oatmeal box changed, so you might not notice right away that it only comes with 6 packets of oats now instead of 8. Two boxes of Bob's Red Mill Instant Oatmeal: apple pieces & cinnamon. One box has red accents, the other green, showing package variety 9. This bag of frozen corn weighs 4 ounces less, but the bag looks bigger to trick your brain. Two bags of frozen corn, one labeled 16 oz (454g) and the other 12 oz (340g), with weights circled for comparison 10. And this tube of toothpaste has shrunk from 5.5 ounces to 4.7 ounces. Two tubes of Tom's of Maine toothpaste are on a wooden surface, featuring the slogan "Wake Up. Brush Teeth. Make Change." 11. There are now 25 fewer sandwich bags per box than there were earlier this year. A hand holds two boxes of sandwich bags on a stovetop, one box opened to show the bag rolls inside

12. The grocery shopper who posted this wrote, “was $8 now it’s $10.” Two jars of Spiceology Smoky Honey Habanero seasoning blend, one holding 11 ounces and one holding 6 ounces

13. This can of soup got more than 2 ounces lighter. Two cans of Campbell's Chunky Soup on a countertop, featuring Spicy Chicken Quesadilla and Spicy Chicken Sausage flavor options 14. The brownie mix on the left was bought in 2023, and the one on the right is from this year. Two boxes of Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie Mix are displayed on a kitchen counter, featuring images of stacked brownies on their packaging 15. These two boxes appear to be the same size, but one is packed with 30 fewer tea bags than the other. Two boxes of Yorkshire Tea, 240 and 210 bags, placed on a surface with scenic countryside imagery on the packaging

16. This soap is shrinking. One commenter wrote, “They’re almost as small as the bars in hotel rooms now.” Two bars of Dove soap on a marble countertop, showing different weights: 106g and 90g 17. And this “value size” isn’t the deal it used to be. Two bottles of CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser for normal to oily skin, featuring oil control and essential ceramides, on a bathroom counter 18. The cookie tin on the left was purchased in 2024, and the one on the right is from this year. Two tins of IKEA's VINTERSAGA ginger thins cookies displayed on a table. One tin is red, and the other is green with a gingerbread figure

19. The new bottle of shampoo on the left won’t make it through as many showers as the old one on the right. Two bottles of Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo, one containing 27.7 fluid ounces and the other containing 23.6

20. The person who spotted this seemingly small price tag change explained, “From 9.9oz bags to 9.0oz bags. A 1.4% drop in price for a 9% drop in quantity, which works out to an 8.4% increase in cost per pound.” Reese's Pieces bag on a store shelf, old price tag shows $6.99 for 9.9 ounces and the new is $6.89 for 9 ounces 21. The new candle on the left is a bit smaller than the old one on the right. Two Yankee Candle jars labeled "Christmas Eve" on a wooden surface. The left candle is new; the right is partially used 22. And this pack of cocktail weenies won’t go quite as far as it used to. Two packs of cocktail sausages from Iceland, one containing 20 sausages and the other 18, show cooking instructions and expiration dates In conclusion, this one is a joke, but it feels a little too real after all I’ve seen: Large and small Tabasco sauce bottles on a table with a floral tablecloth