SHOPPERS have hit out at a popular energy bar company after packaging tweaks.
Some claimed that the brand’s labeling made it appear that buyers were getting a better deal than they were.
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A Reddit user posted a photo Monday of Clif bar cases they purchased side by side during a recent trip to the grocery store.
There was a noticeable but tiny difference in the packaging.
In the photo, a box could be seen advertising a Clif box as “now with 6 bars”, while a box next to it detailed that they were offered “now with 5 bars”.
Given the wording, fans claimed the company was trying to trick buyers into thinking they increased the value of the bar when in reality they decreased it.
The advertising angered several buyers.
“One thing I never forgot in my marketing courses was that when a company says something is new, improved, or changed in some way, the language is always designed to hide the fact that the change is negative,” one person commented.
“It’s never an improvement,” they added.
“And the box is still the same size, what a waste,” a second person added.
A third customer claimed that the change in the number of bars was due to “reduced inflation”.
WHAT IS SHRINKFLATION?
The term, coined by British economist Pippa Malmgren, refers to when manufacturers reduce the size or quantity of a product while keeping the price the same.
This means that consumers would pay more for a certain amount.
Increasing the price for a given quantity is a well-founded strategy used by companies, especially in the food and beverage industries, to stealthily increase profit margins or to cement them in times of rising production factor costs.
Reducing inflation is often ignored by inflation-weary consumers.
However, many companies may run the risk of turning customers away from a product or brand if they realize they are getting less for the same price.
CPI and inflation explained
The Consumer Price Index is how the federal government measures inflation.
Every month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shares its CPI numbers with detailed breakdowns of which items have variable prices.
The CPI shows how much prices have risen or fallen over the previous 12 months.
The calculation process is complex, but it measures price changes for urban consumers, those who live or work in an American metropolitan area.
Although it does not cover everyone, it measures prices for around 90% of the population.
Reducing inflation can also refer to a situation where the economy is contracting while experiencing an increase in costs.
DESPERATE TIMES
Producers of goods sometimes even make changes to the quality or ingredients of the product without lowering the price.
Companies that practice counterflation will only do so when their production costs begin to rise.
The practice is often carried out when the prices of essential materials or labor skyrocket, causing the cost of manufactured goods to rise as well.
One of the easiest ways to spot counterflation is when a company announces a rebrand on packaging or a new slogan.
This could mean that the company has made a change and that change could just be the size of the product.
COSTCO CHAOS
Customers have alleged that Costco participated in lowering inflation earlier this year when it allegedly reduced the bun size of its iconic hot dog.
“I bought a hot dog at Costco today. They served them on these buns,” one customer wrote on Reddit. publish.
The photo showed the huge hot dog hanging from the edges of the miniature bun.
Other shoppers said the smaller loaves had been in their stores for at least six months.
Inflation rates are still affecting restaurants and retailers across the country this year.
A fast food customer recently fled a popular chain after spotting an alleged 70% price increase for a family meal.
Olive Garden also recently confirmed that it would increase menu prices in line with inflation rates in 2024.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
