<p>Decreasing</p>
<p>Went to buy a case of coke today,no longer 24 cans,now 20… Though price is same…not unlike ice cream that used to be 1/2 gallon now they are quart and a half…sneaky way of raising prices to the consumer…Good thing the government tells me there is NO inflation. ;)</p>
<p>i was amazed by the price of soda the other day. I don’t typically buy it but I picked up a case of root beer. I used to work at a mom and pop grocery store and we charged 3.99 when I was a teenager and we were the most expensive place around. Now I see places charging 4.99 for that same 24 pack that used to charge 2.99.</p>
<p>Did you notice the 59 ounces in the same carton that used to have 64 ounces of orange juice? The orange juice crop this season changed pricing- they opted with a more palatable or less noticeable way of increasing prices. Or the size of toilet paper- this one I never thought about until a family wedding last spring. The grooms’ grandparents on both sides had noticed- my father had a wire bar in the holder that was showing, it used to be wider.</p>
<p>The most frustrating is when the size substitution affects a recipe. They better not mess with some canned goods such as evaporated milk…</p>
<p>Yes, yogurt is 6 ounces for many brands that used to be a full 8 ounces. The list goes on & on. Restaurants also having “daintier & daintier” portions, maybe so you’ll order more?!?!? I am used to not overeating but a lot of them don’t really fill you up!</p>
<p>Canned juice here used to be $1.59/six pack here is now on sale for $2.99 for the same six pack (11.5 ounces each, which used to be 12 ounces). Very sneaky and yes, it is tougher to cook & follow recipes when portion sizes differ from when the recipe was written & you have not quite enough. :(</p>
<p>Well I am glad to see this isn’t happening only in Canada. Garbage bags we buy used to be 30 in a box but now there are 24 in the same size box. I really think they are counting on not many consumers noticing or if they do not complaining. It is the same as about 6 or 7 years ago when one of our cable TV companies tried what was called negative billing. What they did was give everyone about 30 extra channels on the cable without extra cost. Then six months later if you did read not your bill very closely you were would be billed an extra $15 per month for a year. The fine print was that if you did not notify them to cancel these new channels by a certain date you automatically entered into a binding contract for one year. Hence the negative billing, if you don’t tell us to cancel then we assume you want them and will charge you. Luckily enough people got caught with and complained that our government stepped in and forced the company to cancel the offer and refund the money.</p>
<p>This has been going on for a while. Remember when jars of pasta sauce used to be 32 oz? They’re now 24. The new Cheerios boxes are taller than the old ones, but much narrower, so they hold a couple of ounces less. And don’t get me started on paper towels and toilet paper!</p>
<p>We found out today that a gallon of paint is no longer a gallon of paint.</p>
<p>How about toilet paper? Double rolls, triple rolls, how small could the original size have been for the current rolls to be triple? My bet is that if we went back 20 years, the triple roll would be equal to that roll. Arrgh.</p>
<p>I was reading an article about this in The Economist this morning. With the economy so bad and commodity prices up, companies are struggling to find ways to make their profit margins. The article said that April 1st, Whirlpool and Electrolux are increasing their prices by 8-10%. The price increase will be closely watched by retailers and manufacturers everywhere to see what affect it will have sales. </p>
<p>Then conclusion of the article:</p>
<p>“If commodity prices continue to rise, they will eventually be passed on to the consumers one way or another. After years of goods getting cheaper, consumers may have to start getting used to everyday higher prices.”</p>
<p>I first noticed this trend about 20 years ago when a box of Pampers “shrunk.” Same price, fewer diapers. Just noticed that a box of pasta I’m using tonight is no longer 16 oz. Its now 12 oz. Guess I won’t get as many lunches out of the pasta salad I’m about to make.</p>
<p>Mansfield – what is particularly annoying is when you needed a certain amount for a recipe, only to learn that the package no longer contains that amount - after you’re already home from the store.</p>
<p>I just paid $4.05 per gallon for premium gas. I am deeply regretting the large SUV purchase, even though I do use it for carpooling 5 days a week.</p>
<p>At least a gallon of gas is still a gallon of gas – isn’t it??</p>
<p>a gallon is still a gallon they just don’t try to hide the rising price of that one! ;)</p>
<p>A gallon of gas now contains a non-trivial amount of ethanol too. But ethanol is more expensive.</p>
<p>Yes. I can’t make a tuna casserole with one can of tuna anymore. Need to have 2. Or you can get the “big” can which of course is more expensive.</p>
<p>And I used to be able to get away with one jar of spaghetti sauce for a lasagna…now I need 2.</p>
<p>Grr.</p>
<p>i know it’s cheaper to buy spaghetti sauce by the jar but we always make our own unless it’s for like meatball sandwiches or something. my bf makes the best sauce for his lasagna… uses the tomatoes right out of his garden… yummy!</p>
<p>Anyone notice that cans of cranberry sauce shrunk around Thanksgiving? Still could get on for a dollar on sale, but it was much smaller. I did find one “old” can on the shelves, though.</p>
<p>Maybe all of these size changes will help America tackle its obesity problem. :)</p>
<p>I find that a lot of staples are still relatively inexpensive but prepared stuff or stuff that tastes good has gone up or suffered package shrinkage.</p>