You may have noticed the size of the items in your shopping basket getting smaller, whether it’s a box of cereal shrinking or a packet of crisps getting lighter.
But a new report has laid bare the true extent of “counterinflation” in the United States and the extent to which Americans are being shortchanged.
Inflationary contraction occurs when products are reduced in size or quantity while the price remains the same or even increases.
Of almost 100 everyday products analyzed by loan treefound that a third had shrunk in the past five years.
“People are already frustrated that things cost more,” said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. ‘The inflationary contraction only adds salt to the wound. All of this leaves many Americans feeling pressured each month to afford the basic things they can’t do without.’
A new report has laid bare the true extent of “counterinflation” in the US and the extent to which Americans are being shortchanged.
Household paper products, including toilet paper and paper towels, saw the largest size change during the period.
About 60 percent of household paper products have reduced their number of sheets, according to the study.
12 mega rolls of Angel Soft toilet paper decreased from 429 to 320 sheets per roll.
This equates to a size reduction of 25.4 percent, the largest reduction of any product.
While the cost of 12 mega rolls of Angel Soft has dropped from $9.97 to $8.44, its price per 100 units increased from 19 cents to 22 cents, meaning consumers are paying 13.5 percent more for 100 sheets.
Another Angel Soft product, 18 Mega Rolls, was the next with the biggest change in size, shrinking 24.7 percent.
Beyond Angel Soft, Bounty Select-A-Size triple roll paper towels saw the next largest decrease in size, decreasing 18.2 percent from 165 sheets per roll to 135.
It has also increased its price from $19.88 to $22.18 during the period.
After household paper products, breakfast items were the most likely to shrink, LendingTree found.
Family-sized Frosted Flakes reduced the most cereals tested. It decreased 9.6 percent, going from 24 ounces to 21.7 ounces.
Next, family-sized Raisin Bran fell 7.9 percent, from 24 ounces to 22.1. It also saw the largest increase in price per ounce, going from 15 cents to 23 cents.
LendingTree researchers compared Walmart product prices and sizes from 2019 and 2020 through August and September 2024 to find out which items had changed the most.
In addition to most being reduced in size, he also found that only two items had dropped in price. during the period of time.
Of nearly 100 everyday products analyzed by LendingTree, it found that a third had declined in the past five years.
Most Americans have noticed or experienced an inflationary squeeze, LendingTree found.
The report comes as two Democratic lawmakers accused Coca Cola, PepsiCo and General Mills of profiting from consumers by reducing inflation (pictured: Senator Elizabeth Warren).
As for candy, party-size Reese’s miniatures and party-pack Rolo chewy candies decreased the most in size, both falling 11 percent from 40 ounces to 35.6.
Folger’s Classic Roast Ground Coffee was reduced by 16 percent, while also increasing from $9.96 to $14.87.
In terms of snacks, a quantity of 36 FunPops ice popsicles was reduced by 20 percent, the most of any product in the category.
Meanwhile, a party-sized bag of Lay’s Sour Cream and Onion Chips dropped 15.3 percent, while its price rose from $3.98 to $5.44.
A party-sized bag of Cheetos decreased in size by 14.3 percent, along with a whopping 135.3 percent price increase per ounce.
Most Americans have noticed or experienced an inflationary contraction, according to the report.
About 71 percent have noted at least one incident in the past year, while 57 percent have experienced multiple incidents.
LendingTree’s Schulz said companies prefer to cut products rather than raise prices, because they know customers don’t like it when that happens.
“Contraction-flation is a small way to avoid this,” he said.
‘Instead of increasing the price of something, companies reduce the size of the product while keeping the price the same.
‘If done cleverly, customers may not even notice. However, the problem is that when they do this, the customer is left with a bad taste in their mouth because it feels very deceptive.’
The report comes as two Democratic lawmakers accused Coca Cola, PepsiCo and General Mills of profiting from consumers through inflationary contraction.
Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Madeleine Dean wrote to the companies’ CEOs accusing them of subtly reducing the size of cereals and soft drinks sold in stores.
“Unfortunately, this price increase is a widespread problem, with corporate profits driving more than half of inflation,” they said.