--- title: '''Shrinkflation'' Really Is Making Your Groceries Smaller, Government Confirms' description: Shrinkflation is real, according to economists and data collectors, especially when it comes to diapers, doughnuts and chewing gum. authors: - name: Mary Ellen Cagnassola role: Reporter url: https://money.com/author/mary-ellen-cagnassola/ bio: Mary Ellen (M.E.) Cagnassola is a former reporter at Money, where she covered Social Security, retirement, housing, and employment. Her work reflects her commitment to service and equity in consumer finance. education: Rutgers University, BA Journalism at_money_since: 2021 articles: 205 covers: - Shopping - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Economy and Politics - Education - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Taxes former_staff: true editors: - name: Julia Glum role: Managing Editor url: https://money.com/author/julia-glum/ bio: Julia Glum joined Money in 2018 and specializes in covering financial trends that affect everyday Americans' wallets. She also writes Dollar Scholar, a weekly newsletter that teaches young adults how to navigate the messy world of money. education: University of Florida at_money_since: 2018 articles: 453 covers: - Shopping - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Professional Services - Retirement - Taxes - Technology also_seen_in: - Newsweek - International Business Times - CBS News - Good Morning America - WUSA9 - Pix 11 - The New York Times - Mashable - The Washington Post - CNBC - Politico social: - https://x.com/superjulia - https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-glum published: '2023-02-06T21:15:14.000Z' modified: '2024-06-03T19:08:35.000Z' section: Shopping tags: - News word_count: 423 canonical: https://money.com/shrinkflation-smaller-groceries-bls-report/ type: NewsArticle source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Small donut in one hand](https://img.money.com/2023/02/News-Shrinkflation-products.jpg) Do toilet paper rolls seem smaller to you lately? No need to start counting squares — the companies that make food and household goods are indeed downsizing your [grocery-store basics](https://money.com/dollar-scholar-save-money-groceries/) and selling them at the same cost. This practice, called “[shrinkflation](https://money.com/dollar-scholar-shrinkflation/),” isn’t a new phenomenon, according to the [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)](https://www.bls.gov/opub/btn/volume-12/measuring-shrinkflation-and-its-impact-on-inflation.htm). The agency says it’s common for manufacturers to alter packaging design to benefit their bottom lines rather than increase prices and run the risk of upsetting customers. And a new report shows shrinkflation hits certain items more than other. ## How shrinkflation works Consumers are less likely to notice [changes in product size](https://money.com/inflation-yelp-reviews/) than in price, and even if they do, they’re probably not keeping track of the number of chips in their snack bags over time. Economists and data collectors with the BLS, however, are doing just that, and findings confirm that people are getting less for their money across a variety of goods. - But only some goods can be downsized: Products sold by weight or volume, like steaks and gasoline, generally don’t experience shrinkflation, according to the BLS. - You may feel cheated right now, but the BLS says the overall impact of shrinkflation on cost inflation is actually pretty small. ## What the data says Household paper products, like toilet paper and paper towels, were the most downsized items between January 2015 and December 2021. Data collectors and economists logged 716 reports, or observed changes in product size, for paper products. Snacks were the second-most shrunk category, experiencing 509 size changes. Here are other categories that saw significant shrinkage: - sweetrolls, coffee cake and doughnuts - tea - baby diapers - pies, tarts and turnovers - cakes and cupcakes - fresh biscuits, rolls and muffins - candy and chewing gum ## Keep in mind Despite increased attention on “[shrinkflation,](https://money.com/one-million-dollar-homes-shrinkflation/)” downsizing has actually downsized in recent years. BLS data shows the practice was at its height in April 2015, and downsizing doesn’t show a correlation with the [historically high prices](https://money.com/stocks-soar-after-inflation-falls/) that have hit stores over the past few years. - In fact, the BLS says clandestine size changes don’t affect inflation much at all: The most size changes in 2021 — when [inflation](https://money.com/stocks-soar-after-inflation-falls/) began to surge — occurred in June, which had 22 reports of products changing size. 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