More and more companies are shrinking product packages. Most consumers never notice though because the shrinkage might hardly noticeable but the companies profit from this because they do this as a way to raise prices without consumers noticing anything. If you notice shrinkage on a product you regularly buy, take a look at alternatives and find out if their packages have also been shrunk. If they haven't then you could from then on start buying the alternatives.
I have noticed this especially in my favorite chocolate bars, the packaging is the same, but I realized it was so much lighter. It does feel like a rip off, they keep it at the same price and hope no one notices but you do. Sometimes they say they have less packaging to reduce waste, but in fact it's to hide the fact there is less product. Always check the weight of the product, because that's the only way you know how much it really inside the package.
Speaking of chocolates, the Japanese Macadamia remains in a box with lots of spaces inside. The merchandiser in the supermarket said that the said packaging is a defense to breakage - it's not good to eat a melted chocolate or a compressed chocolate that had lost its shape. But when we bought our tv last year, we noticed the simple packaging of carton that has very thin styrofoam for protection unlike before when appliances have a lot of big sized styrofoam.
I noticed this in bakeries where the size of the bread was smaller than it's original size. Also there is this certain energy drink that I always buy, and I noticed that it's contents have shrunk and the bottle was not full as it used to be. Oh well we have no other choice but to grin and bear it as consumers.
This a very good example of why its always wise to check the unit cost before buying anything. In fact as this underhand tactic of repackaging products or rather - revamping them for the sole purpose of deceiving the consumer into spending more money - is fast becoming a popular trend amongst manufacturers - so much so - that some products are now being repackaged way more frequently than they used to be - always checking the unit cost is the smart thing to do - if wanting to avoid being caught out and paying way more than you need to. Especially considering the fact that - every time a product is repackaged the contents generally shrink by quite a considerable amount and even though the contents are less the price will not be reduced - but will instead be the same or more than the original price prior to repackaging - as these repackaged products are then marketed to look as though they've just been up-dated or revitalized in some way - they are in reality - clearly designed purely for the sole purpose of getting the consumer to pay more for less - without realizing it.
