Shrinkflation: Price goes up but quantity goes down

Do you find that your groceries cost you more but last much less? This phenomenon is called shrinkflation, the Foodwatch association denounces six brands in particular.

The quantity of food products is decreasing but their price is not changing, this is what the consumer defense association Foodwatch denounces in a press release on September 1st. This growing phenomenon is called Skrinkflation , from the verb to shrink in English, or hidden inflation in French. The problem is difficult to identify ' because you can't find the same two formats on the shelves at the same time 'explains Camille Dorioz, the campaign manager. size reductions of ' 10 to 20% ' enable brands to evolve the price per kilo or per litre' up to 37% ' , without increasing the price per unit or very little, so consumers do not realize it. These increases have often takes place on products that are well installed in cupboards and in consumer habits ' announces the director to our colleagues from BFM .

Brands pointed out by the association

After an investigation and the study of old promotional catalogs, Foodwatch targets six brands in particular : Kiri, St Hubert, Saint Louis, Salvetat, Lindt and Teisseire. For example, Salvetat water bottles went to 1.15 l instead of 1.25 l, two years ago, reducing the amount of water by 8%. Its price per liter has increased by 15% at Intermaché but its unit price only by 5%. Or even Teisseire who reduced the size of the syrup bottles from 75 cl to 60 cl, thus reducing the quantity of product by 20% , its price per liter at Carrefour jumped 37% while its unit price only increased by 12%.

According to John Plassard, financial analyst, this phenomenon only concerns 2% of products supermarkets and mainly cereals and chocolate bars chocolate .

More transparency for consumers

Foodwatch, through a petition, asks for less' opacity ' : 'We ask above all the brands concerned, the manufacturers and the distributors to undertake to inform consumers of the changes made ' indicates Camille Dorioz. Unfortunately, this practice is ' completely legal , provided that the weight of the product is clearly indicated on the packaging so as not to mislead consumers 'says Guillaume Forbin, a lawyer specializing in consumer law at Kramer Levin at the AFP .