Rome, 19 June 2022 – Shrinkflation, buy at same price (if that’s okay) but take it home less product. The technique of masked rises seems to have taken a boost, especially after the war in Ukraine. We realize this when we go to the supermarket and theAntitrust, which monitors. While the Codacons at the beginning of June had calculated: “Sting of € 2,753 to family “, cause inflation al 6,9%.
Shrinkflation, what is it?
The word comes from English and puts the verb together to shrink (to shrink) with the noun inflation (inflation). In other words: companies reduce the quantity of product in the packaging while maintaining substantially the same prices. Indeed, second the complaint presented in April by Massimiliano Donapresident of the National Consumers Union, sometimes prices are even raised.
What are the products that ‘shrink’?
The basket of ‘shrunken’ products is varied, ranging from packaging to te to the boxes of biscottidai detergents at the toilet paper.
What is the origin of the phenomenon?
As the president of the National Consumers Union recalls, the first to sound the alarm were the economists dell’British Statistical Institute (Ons, Office for National Statistics). Over the past 6 years, Dona writes, “in about 2,500 almost the packaging of products (especially food and home hygiene) has been reduced in weight and quantity “.
Shrinkflation, what happens in Italy?
And what happens in Italy? Dona cites Istat data. “From 2012 to 2017 the similar cases recorded in markets, resales and super-markets were 7.306. In the same period, of 4,983 products not only the packaging but also the price has been changed. The product classes affected by the phenomenon of “shrinkflation” are in total 11. The peaks are recorded in the product sector of sugars, sweets, jams, chocolate, honey (in 613 cases decrease in quantity and increase in price) and in that of bread and some cereals (788 cases in which, however, only a reduction in packaging was found) “.
How to protect yourself?
The Antitrust Authority establishes an important principle: “Conduct such as decreasing the quantity of product for the same size of the package, in the absence of aadequate warning on the label front, could be considered worthy of further study “.
