When you hear that your online purchase will be “gift wrapped,” what do you picture? Most people would picture a package wrapped up in paper, maybe with a bow, right? That’s not what Amazon customers are getting in their boxes this holiday season: for the same price, shoppers are getting velvet gift bags of various sizes. [More]
packaging
Grocery Shrink Ray Swipes A Few Junior Mints
By 10.13.16
The Grocery Shrink Ray is the reason why a “half gallon” container of ice cream is no longer half a gallon (with notable exceptions), and why toilet paper squares are no longer four inches. Products shrink almost imperceptibly over time, sometimes disguised by a package redesign. The latest place it has hit? Junior Mints. [More]
Could Using The “World’s Ugliest” Color Stop People From Smoking?
By 6.21.16
Opaque Couché, described as looking like “death,” “filth,” and “lung tar,” is widely considered the world’s ugliest color. With a reputation like that you wouldn’t expect the hue to be used much, but it is — as a way to deter consumers from purchasing cigarettes in some areas of the world. [More]
Why Do Low-Fat Cheeses Always Have Lady Mascots?
By 3.3.16
Hold it right there, fella! You, with the reduced fat Galbani string cheese in your hand! Don’t you know that stuff is for the ladies? Otherwise, why would all the less fatty cheese options feature a female character with flowing locks, while the regular fat packages have a male anthropomorphized cheese stick? [More]
Bill Requiring Childproof Packs For Liquid Nicotine Heads To President’s Desk
By 1.12.16
The Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act, intended to reduce the odds of kids getting their little hands on tasty-looking – but poisonous – liquid nicotine, appears destined to be the first new federal law regulating e-cigarettes. Yesterday, Congress passed the measure, which now goes to the White House for President Obama’s signature. [More]
Legislation Would Require Liquid Nicotine Come In Child-Proof Packages
By 12.11.15
Legislation to ensure children aren’t able to get their little hands on tasty-looking – but poisonous – liquid nicotine has made it past one hurdle: the Senate unanimously passed the measure yesterday, indicating widespread support for the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2015. [More]
Amazon’s Stupid Shipping Gang Nestles Roll Of Bubble Wrap In Kraft Paper
By 7.8.15
Look, Amazon doesn’t know what Alexis wanted a roll of bubble wrap for. Maybe she just wants it to wrap up breakable items before placing them in a box to move, store, or mail. Or maybe she’s a collector of rare and precious bubble wraps, and needs to keep the rolls in mint condition with no risk of damage and not a single bubble popped. [More]
Bubble Wrap: Now With Less Pop
By 7.2.15
We’ve all been there: You receive a fragile packaged carefully wrapped in Bubble Wrap that’s just begging for you to start pinching the plastic between your fingers to create that joyous popping sound. The days of that sweet sound may be over as the biggest company in the Bubble Wrap game is revamping its signature product by removing its popping possibility. [More]
Stupid Shipping Gang Sends Three Tiny SIMs In Three Separate Giant Boxes
By 6.3.15
Even if you’ve never opened your mobile phone up, you probably know what a SIM card looks like: they’re the fingernail-sized chips that have your phone number and carrier details. When reader TJ’s employer bought some recently, they employed classic Stupid Shipping Gang tactics to make sure that these cards didn’t go missing. [More]
Investigators Stumped After Woman Finds “High-Quality” Cocaine In Her Granola Bar Wrapper
By 5.7.15
Finding prizes in your food can be fun when you’re expecting them, but one San Antonio grandmother says she certainly wasn’t expecting to shake her Nature Valley granola bar wrapper and have a baggie filled with cocaine and covered in dollar signs fall out. [More]
CVS To Pay $225K For Misleading Packaging On Store-Brand Products
By 10.6.14
Isn’t it great when you buy a box that looks like it contains a large jar of face cream only to find out that what’s inside is much smaller than you’d expected? Drugstore megachain CVS recently agreed to pay $225,000 to settle allegations in California that it tweaked its packaging on nearly a dozen store-brand products to trick customers into thinking they were getting more than they really were. [More]
Russell Stover Chocolate Peanut Butter Bunny Disappoints On Both Counts
By 4.9.13
Ed sent us these chocolate bunny photos after lunchtime on Monday, which we’re assuming means that he bought them on post-Easter clearance. Even if he did, that doesn’t give Russel Stover an excuse to sell him a skimpy bunny with a meager amount of peanut butter inside. [More]
Grocery Shrink Ray Hits Feta Cheese, Shrinks Product And Packaging (Updated: Not So Fast!)
By 1.7.13 — Updated: 1.8.13
UPDATE: Not so fast, Drew! Kraft, parent company of Athenos, contacted us to let us know that they sell six-ounce AND four-ounce packages. When Drew went to buy a package of Athenos feta cheese, he noticed something strange. ” Athenos not only did away with the recently ‘new’ flip top on their feta cheese, replacing it with a decidedly cheaper container, they also removed two entire ounces from the package,” he writes. “I may have to start getting all of my cheese at Sam’s Club now…” [More]
Best Buy Makes Sure Gift Card Arrives Safely, Sends It Packed In Air Cushions
By 1.2.13
Kevin took advantage of a totally amazing Best Buy deal where he could buy a $100 iTunes gift card for only $80. The card came in the regular old mail instead of being virtual, though, and Kevin assumed that it would arrive in some sort of envelope. What with it being a small, flat object and all. But no! Instead, Best Buy sent it along in a cardboard box filled with air pillows. [More]
Amazon Keeps Sending Me Dinged-Up Graphic Novels
By 9.26.12
Yes, buying used books can save a lot of money, but Spencer went to the trouble and expense to buy a new copy of the trade paperback he wanted from Amazon. A Star Wars graphic novel, thank you very much. Only Amazon was unable to send any books to him in mint condition, or without getting banged up in the box or puny padded envelope. [More]
This Power Strip Is Ideal For Outdoor Use, Just Maybe Don't Use It Outdoors
By 5.11.12
Consumerist reader Fred was strolling through his local Home Depot in Connecticut when he checked out this Belkin power strip, which says right on the front of the package that it is “ideal” for outdoor use. Apparently, “ideal” is Belkin-ese for “not advised.” [More]
Movie Studios Create Special Blu-Ray Slipcovers For Target, This Target Tosses Them In Trash
By 11.3.11
Michael has a cool hobby that I had never heard of until today: collecting new Blu-Ray disc releases, especially limited editions and interesting slipcovers. Studios issue exclusive slipcovers to certain retailers: a great marketing opportunity and plenty of fun for collectors, right? Sure. If the employees at Michael’s local Target hadn’t been ordered to slip off those neat slipcovers and toss ’em before putting new movies in plastic security cases before they go on the shelves. [More]
Batman Costume Package Vs Reality
By 9.30.11
It’s not exactly the kind of crime the caped crusader would go after, but reader synimatik was a bit pissed when she opened her son’s Batman costume and found it didn’t match up with the image on the outside of the package. [More]
