PepsiCo adds more chips to bags amid ‘shrinkflation’ backlash

[KARAH RUCKER]

IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR CHIP BAGS ARE FILLED WITH MORE AIR THAN CHIPS THESE DAYS, YOU ARE NOT ALONE—AND ONE COMPANY IS FINALLY RESPONDING TO THOSE COMPLAINTS.

PEPSICO, THE MAKER OF LAY’S, DORITOS, TOSTITOS, AND RUFFLES, HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF “SHRINKFLATION.” THAT IS WHEN COMPANIES DOWNSIZE THEIR PRODUCTS BUT KEEP THE PRICE THE SAME.

AFTER FACING PUBLIC BACKLASH, PEPSICO SAYS IT PLANS TO ADD 20-PERCENT MORE CHIPS TO CERTAIN BAGS OF TOSTITOS AND RUFFLES.

THE COMPANY ANNOUNCED DURING A RECENT EARNINGS CALL THAT IT WILL ALSO INCLUDE TWO ADDITIONAL SMALL CHIP BAGS IN SOME OF ITS VARIETY PACKS—ALL AT THE SAME PRICE AS THE CURRENT VERSIONS.

SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN AND REPRESENTATIVE MADELEINE DEAN RECENTLY ACCUSED PEPSICO, ALONG WITH OTHER COMPANIES, OF SHRINKFLATION IN A LETTER.

MEANWHILE, PRESIDENT BIDEN TOOK SHRINKFLATION HEAD ON IN A VIDEO POSTED BEFORE FEBRUARY’S SUPER BOWL.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN

“YA KNOW, WHILE BUYING SNACKS FOR THE GAME, YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED ONE THING: SPORTS DRINKS BOTTLES ARE SMALLER. A BAG OF CHIPS HAS FEWER CHIPS, BUT THEIR STILL CHARGING US JUST AS MUCH.”

“i’VE HAD ENOUGH OF WHAT THEY CALL SHRINKFLATION.”

KARAH RUCKER

AND IN FRANCE, SUPERMARKET CHAIN CARREFOUR PULLED PEPSICO PRODUCTS OFF ITS SHELVES EARLIER THIS YEAR, SAYING THEY HAD BECOME TOO EXPENSIVE FOR THEIR SIZE.

BUT SHRINKFLATION IS NOTHING NEW.

BACK IN 2021, CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWYER EDGAR DWORSKY, WHO RUNS MOUSEPRINT.ORG, FOUND THAT TOSTITOS AND RUFFLES BAGS HAD SHRUNK BY AS MUCH AS TWO OUNCES, WITHOUT ANY PRICE CHANGE.

A TIMES ANALYSIS SAID LAY’S BAGS STARTED CARRYING FIVE FEWER CHIPS, SAVING PEPSICO 50-MILLION-DOLLARS ANNUALLY.

WHILE PEPSICO IS CALLING THIS MOVE A “BONUS BAG,” DWORSKY POINTS OUT THAT IT IS ONLY A TEMPORARY PROMOTION. HE SAID IT DOES NOT ADDRESS THE OVERALL DOWNSIZING OF PRODUCTS FOR THE SAME PRICE.

A RECENT SURVEY BY MORNING CONSULT FOUND THAT NEARLY HALF OF RESPONDENTS HAD SWITCHED BRANDS AFTER NOTICING SHRINKFLATION, AND ABOUT 30-PERCENT SAID THEY STOPPED BUYING CERTAIN BRANDS ALTOGETHER.

DWORSKY’S ADVICE IS TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE PRICE PER UNIT TO AVOID FALLING VICTIM TO SHRINKFLATION, AND CONSIDER TRYING GENERIC OR STORE BRANDS, WHICH TEND TO RESIST THE PRACTICE LONGER.

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FOR SAN, I’M KARAH RUCKER