Michael sends in this latest Grocery Shrink Ray victim, found at the Petsmart where he works. He writes, “The price is the same, and the 20lb bag is apparently being “upgraded” to an 18lb bag. This was the only 20lb bag left, but consumers who pay attention may be able to still be able to find some of the larger bags in stores.”
grocery shrink ray
Kraft Wants You To Know That The Grocery Shrink Ray Did NOT Zap Their Italian Dressing!
By 7.7.08
Reader Max writes in to let us know that Kraft’s Zesty Italian Dressing has (allegedly) not been hit by the dreaded grocery shrink ray– a fact that they proudly display right on the bottle!
Not Even Mini Babybel Cheese Can Escape The Grocery Shrink Ray
By 7.5.08
Violating every conceivable standard of decency, the Grocery Shrink Ray has unleashed a heartless attack on baby cheese. Mini Babybels, those adorably pudgy wax-encrusted cheese cylinders, were once allowed to grow until they reached 132 grams. Now, the Babybel’s are a stunted 120 grams.
Grocery Shrink Ray Zaps Pampers
By 7.3.08
The grocery shrink ray doesn’t just target food. It’s coming after your baby’s diapers.
Ben Popken Talkin' 'Bout Grocery Shrink Ray In Various Media Outlets
By 7.2.08
Media interest in The Grocery Shrink Ray sweeping across America continues, I was interviewed recently by CNNMoney.com, The Brian Lehrer Show, and Agence France-Press. Everyone knows prices are higher and manufacturers need to pass them on somehow. I don’t like the method of shrinking sizes while keeping the prices the same. Or when they combine it with a package redesign, hoping we’ll be so distracted by a new spigot that we won’t notice we’re getting less. My local pizza parlor went about it differently. They raised prices and taped up two articles explaining how rising wheat costs are driving up the cost of making pizza. They didn’t, however, cut their pies into 12 slices instead of 8.
Grocery Shrink Ray Hits Arby's In OK-KS-MO-AR
By 7.2.08
Starting this week, a few portions are smaller and prices higher at Arby’s in the OK-KS-MO-AR region. Here’s the aftermath:
Grocery Shrink Ray Hits Arizona Ice Tea?
By 7.1.08
It looks like the fell Grocery Shrink Ray may have hit cans of Arizona Ice Tea, reducing the size of their 12 oz cans to 11.5 oz cans. We couldn’t find any definite pictures of 12oz Arizona Ice Tea cans, but we did find them being sold on this website in 12 oz cans. What happens to a product when the shrink ray hits it? I imagine it goes eek! eek! eek! and the last eek is an octave higher than the first.
Grocery Shrink Ray Hits Publix, Yoplait Yogurt
By 7.1.08
Where did those two ounces of yogurt go? The dreaded grocery shrink ray has blasted them to oblivion, my friends. Not even store brands are safe.
Ben Popken On TV Talking 'Bout Shrinking Packages
By 6.20.08
Here’s the clip of yours truly, Ben Popken, on FOX 13 Tampa yesterday talking about the Grocery Shrink Ray that all the writers on the site have been doing a great job of covering. The interview was done over Skype webcam and I think it came out pretty well. “Shrinkage” and “downsizing” may be nothing new, but I think we’re going to see more goods shrinking and by greater degrees in the coming months. It’s practically a secret inflation. At the end of the story they say that some manufacturers are considering doing away with gallons of milk and instead selling 3/4 of a gallon, for the same price. If that happens, I think a lot more messages like the recording of the good ol’ boy upset over the downsized Jimmy Dean’s sausage are going to be left on customer complaint lines across America. As the guy in the New York Daily News shrinking package article (which I was also quoted in, whoo), said, “Soon people will be buying empty bags and empty boxes.”
By 6.19.08
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Consumerist Editor Ben Popken (hey, that’s me!) talks about the grocery shrink ray today at 5:30 PM Eastern on WTVT-TV FOX 13 in Florida.
Grocery Shrink Ray Hits Apple Jacks, Cocoa Krispies, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and Honey Smacks
By 6.18.08
Kellogg has confirmed that the much-feared grocery shrink ray has now focused its malevolent beam on Apple Jacks, Cocoa Krispies, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and Honey Smacks. Boxes were shrunk by an average of 2.4 ounces.
Grocery Shrink Ray Hits Garden Salsa Sun Chips
By 6.17.08
These Sun Chips have shrunk from 11.5 oz to 10.5 oz and are still being sold at the same price. “Not even healthy foods that normally are already sold in smaller portions are safe,” says tipster MasonTwo who spotted these on the shelves at Walmart. CNN says the products most vulnerable to the Grocery Shrink Ray are paper towels, potato chips, sticks of gum, toilet paper, detergent and candy bars. Hey, look at the bright side, maybe the Grocery Shrink Ray is just what we need to fight the obesity crisis.
Tony Roma Corporate Responds To Shrinking Beer Complaint
By 6.17.08
Tony Roma corporate sent Alex the following response to his complaint over being sold a 16 oz beer and getting a 14 oz beer instead:
By 6.17.08
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Attention Floridian Consumerists! Provided everything goes according to schedule, I will be on Fox Tampa Thursday during the 10pm newscast, talking about the mysterious Grocery Shrink Ray sweeping across America.
Now It's Serious: Shrink Ray Hits Beer
By 6.10.08
Although we’ve been covering the unpleasant phenomenon of the grocery shrink ray for a while, we’ve been slightly relieved that the shrinking products were things like soap, gum, and orange juice—not crucial staples of our existence. Not anymore, according to the Wall Street Journal: Bars and restaurants are shrinking their beers. The horror!
Grocery Shrink Ray Hits Dawn Soap
By 6.9.08
The grocery shrink ray continues firing unabated, this time scoring a direct hit on Dawn soap. Reader Courtney reports that Dawn containers, once a proud 740 ml, have now shrunk to a mere 650 ml—a loss of 90 ml of bleach-alternative cleanliness!
