We’ve seen many different variations on the Grocery Shrink Ray over the years, but somehow never anticipated this: a Warranty Shrink Ray. A sneaky tipster who works at Best Buy noticed that the same product, a Seagate hard drive for notebook computers, had a lovely redesigned box. And a few years lopped off the warranty. Much like how other products change the size of an item just a tiny bit rather than raising the price, Seagate cut back on the warranty. [More]
Researcher Unearths Proof Of Grocery Shrink Ray From 1977
By July 19, 2012
Lest you think the Grocery Shrink Ray, which reduces the size of a food product but leaves the price intact (or even makes that price increase), is a product of the Internet Age, here is evidence showing the Shrink Ray’s pernicious effects from 35 years ago. [More]
Grocery Shrink Ray Scoops Two Ounces Out Of Kellogg’s Raisin Bran
By July 10, 2012
Kellogg’s may still market its Raisin Bran as having “two scoops” of raisins, but those scoops just got a little smaller. A Raisin Bran lover who uses the name Gordon Comstock here at Consumerist noticed the difference, and was lucky enough to still have the old box sitting in his recycling bin so he could prove the difference. [More]
Grocery Shrink Ray Takes Bites Out Of Wheat Thins And Pillsbury Cake Mix
By July 3, 2012
Is it the Grocery Shrink Ray, or are companies looking out for our health? A box of Pillsbury cake mix has shrunk three ounces, but still makes the same number of (slightly smaller) cupcakes. Wheat Thins lose .9 ounces in the box, but have gained ten grams of “whole grains” per serving. Are they looking out for our health, or… nah, probably just their bottom line. [More]
Not Only Are Mike & Ike Splitting Up, But The Grocery Shrink Ray Has Them In Its Sights
By June 29, 2012
Consumerist reader Eric has a long abiding love of Mike and Ike’s candy, so he’s a little bit bummed that Mike and his pal Ike are divorcing in a recent ad campaign by the company. But why does this break-up have to also involve the unfortunate smallifying rays of the Grocery Shrink Ray? [More]
Orville Redenbacher Is The Latest Victim Of The Grocery Shrink Ray
By June 15, 2012
Popcorn, as its name implies, tends to expand when you cook it (otherwise, you’re just eating “corn”). But while Orville Redenbacher’s caramel popcorn presumably still gets larger when you pop it into the microwave, you are now getting less food for your popcorn-buying dollar. [More]
Plastic Hanger Shrink Ray Costs You 4 Cents Per Hanger
By June 5, 2012
Jeff needed some plastic hangers, and found some at Kmart that cost just a little more than he wanted to pay. But the odd thing was that the signage wasn’t quite right: the price given was for ten hangers, and the packages actually on the shelf contained eight hangers each. Okay, it’s not a big deal. And broken down, only a few cents’ difference per hanger. That doesn’t mean it isn’t annoying. [More]
Has Gatorade Been Slimmed Down By The Grocery Shrink Ray?
By June 1, 2012
For years, Gatorade drinkers have grown familiar with the hard lines of the sports drink’s 32 oz. plastic bottle. Now we’re hearing that the beverage might be shifting over to a slimmer, easier-to-grip bottle — that is also 12.5% smaller. [More]
Jennie-O Reverses Grocery Shrink Ray To Add 10% More Fat Back In To Turkey Franks
By May 31, 2012
Here we thought the grocery shrink ray only worked one way, but Jennie-O is blowing our minds with a subtle reversal of the ray, turning it into a zapper that adds 10% of the fat back in to its turkey franks. [More]
Kraft: We'd Rather You Go 23% Hungrier Than Pay A Few Cents More
By May 31, 2012
Yesterday, we showed you photographic evidence of how the Grocery Shrink Ray had zapped one reader’s Oscar Mayer Lunchables packages from 4.4 oz. to 3.3 oz. Turns out he wasn’t the only reader who was less than thrilled about the change. [More]
Lunchables Fall Victim To The Grocery Shrink Ray
By May 30, 2012
Consumerist reader Mike has been noshing on Oscar Mayer Lunchables — you know, the pre-packed meat/cheese/cracker things — for years. To him, they were a dependable way to have a quick and cheap bite to eat for lunch in the office. That is, until they felt the ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAAAPPPP! of the patented Grocery Shrink Ray. [More]
Round Saltines Disguise Stealth Shrink Ray
By May 7, 2012
As we reported on Friday, in parts of the Northeast, Nabisco’s traditional Premium brand saltine crackers have abruptly disappeared from the shelves. Unless they want to switch to one of the several other brands of saltines, their only choices are mini crackers or the new round ones. The change also disguises a stealth Grocery Shrink Ray that reduces the total mass of crackers in a box. [More]
Has The Grocery Shrink Ray Turned Saltines Round?
By May 4, 2012
We don’t eat saltines all that often here at Consumerist HQ, but we are certainly familiar with the classic cracker’s orthogonal form. Well Nabisco is out to shake up the “stuff you crumble into your soup” market by testing a round version of its Premium brand saltine. [More]
Nabisco Zaps Triscuits With Grocery Shrink Ray
By April 24, 2012
It’s time to play Spot the Difference! Between the older Triscuit box on the left and the one on the right, Nabisco made at least four changes. It doesn’t really matter if you can find them all, since only one change matters. [More]
P&G Apologizes, Has An Actual Reason For Old Spice Deodorant Shrinkage
By March 26, 2012
Consumerist reader Jordan recently copied us on an email he wrote to Procter & Gamble, shaming them for performing the grocery shrink ray on his favorite Old Spice deodorant. But before we could even post his tale of outrage, he received a reasonable explanation and an apology from P&G. Imagine that! [More]
Huggies Trumpets New Lower Price, Doesn't Brag About Box Having Less Diapers
By March 12, 2012
Huggies doesn’t mind patting itself on the back for a “new lower price” on a bulk box of diapers, crowing about the dollar less they’re charging customers at Sam’s Club. But as Jay found out, they’re not as chatty about the fact that the price is for less diapers. Zap! Grocery shrink ray! [More]
The United Arab Emirates Will Not Stand For The Grocery Shrink Ray
By February 22, 2012
When Coke and Pepsi cans sold in the United Arab Emirates were shrink rayed from 355 milliliters (about 12 ounces) to 300 mL (about 10 ounces) while the price remained the same, it wasn’t just customers who complained. The government noticed, too, and is removing the offending cans from store shelves. Those wacky foreigners! [More]
Reporter Investigating Foreclosure Fraud Finds Out He's A Victim Of Foreclosure Fraud
By November 30, 2011
As much as we Consumerists hate when our work crosses over into our personal lives and we end up on hold with our cable TV provider for hours or feel the sting of the grocery shrink ray, that’s nothing compared to what happened to a reporter in Las Vegas who, while investigating the rampant foreclosure fraud in his region, discovered he too had fallen victim to the very problem he was reporting on. [More]
