Admittedly, I am not the best grocery shopper. If I go to the supermarket while I am hungry, I will end up buying stuff I shouldn’t be eating. And while I do pay attention to prices, I have not been eagle-eyed enough to notice subtle differences in packaging sizes… until now.
Our story “Size Matters,” put together by producer Doreen Geiger and me, sheds light on a retail practice that is becoming more common in the current economic climate.
To manage costs, many manufacturers have reduced the amount of product in a given package, while keeping the price the same. So for example, a cereal box that once contained 19 ounces may now have only 18, but the price has likely not changed.
We talked with several consumers who noticed (as did my mother-in-law when I asked her), but others have not. Consumer protection officials are keeping an eye on it, but it’s not illegal. The manufacturers we contacted said they are facing rising costs and are simply trying to avoid hitting customers with dramatic jumps in price.
Bottom line, consumers need to take note.
So from now on, I only go grocery shopping after I have eaten, and I may bring a pen and pad to do the math.
The Money Squeeze 