shrinkflation

noun

shrink·​fla·​tion ˌshriŋk-ˈflā-shən 

: the practice of reducing a product's amount or volume per unit while continuing to offer it at the same price

Shrinkflation occurs when companies keep their prices the same, but give you less of their products.

—Brian O'Connell

It's the inflation you're not supposed to see. From toilet paper to yogurt and coffee to corn chips, manufacturers are quietly shrinking package sizes without lowering prices. It's dubbed "shrinkflation," and it's accelerating worldwide.

—The Associated Press

None of us has been immune to the toll of inflation and shrinkflation, feeling it every time we go to the grocery store or pretty much with anything we buy.

—Steve Watts and Sara Greene

Examples of shrinkflation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Chocolate, crisps, biscuits and snack bars are the most likely candidates for shrinkflation, the study found. —Katie Linsell, Bloomberg.com, 6 June 2023

Astute grocery shoppers will know that shrinkflation isn’t new. —Leslie Patton and bloomberg, Fortune, 12 May 2022

Some consumers are noticing and documenting their shrinking groceries on the shrinkflation subreddit. —Clarisa Diaz, Quartz, 10 Mar. 2022

Dworsky tracks shrinkflation with the help of eagle-eye readers and posts photos of smaller packages and net weights next to previous versions of products. —Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 23 July 2021

Word History

Etymology

shrink entry 1 + (in)flation

First Known Use

1991, in the meaning defined above