You might think it's number 2, but actually numbers 2 and 3 are the same size.

Both are 25% smaller than number 1.

But it's harder to tell with number 3 because of how the chocolate has been distributed.

It's this sort of underhand tactic that makes it hard to see products drinking, which is spreading throughout our supermarket aisles, to everything from toilet roll to Toblerone's.

So why are products getting smaller?

I looked through all the cabins in my house, I find a Cadbury cream egg from a couple years ago and I brought it.

This is this year's egg.

Yes.

This is the egg.

Oh wow!

Look at that!

Judge for yourself America.

Actor BJ Novak noticed a classic case of shrinkflation and called out Cadbury's on TV.

The standard version of the egg had clearly shrunk, yet in the FAQs on the Cadbury's website at the time, in answer to why the size had changed, it said, it hasn't, you've just grown up.

Shrinkflation has become a widespread economic tactic.

Between 2012 and 2017, 2,529 products shrunk in the UK while staying the same price.

And there's a whole Reddit thread dedicated to tracking these changes.

And I got one for 50, great!

And then look!

There is literally not even like a quarter of it filled with chocolate.

I put it on top of the other can of soup that I have, I noticed it was considerably smaller.

After Doritos owner Frito-Lay was called out, they admitted to reducing the amount of crisps in a bag, saying, we took just a little bit out of the bag so we can give you the same price and you can keep enjoying your chips.

There's another similar tactic called skimflation that is often used but harder to track, where the weight and price of the products stays the same, but the quality of the ingredients decreases.

Take Campbell's cream of potato soup.

Potato used to be the first ingredient on the list, but now it's water.

So why do they do it?

Due to inflation, the cost of all the ingredients and resources they use goes up.

Then the companies transfer that cost to the consumer.

But if they put the prices up, we might notice and opt for a cheaper brand.

So instead, they keep the price the same and recoup their costs by taking back some of the products instead.

A Harvard study proved that people are more sensitive to changes in price than to changes in quantity.

And this can be fruitful for companies.

In the 80s, American Airlines removed one olive from each dinner salad served to customers and saved around $40,000 a year.

But shrinkflation isn't just used to keep up with inflation.

Companies are raking in the profit.

While overall inflation rose by 21% from July 2020 to July 2024, corporate profits grew by 90% over that same period, nearly four and a half times as fast as inflation.

So companies are taking the opportunity to increase profits by as much as possible.

And when inflation decreases, the products will never return to the original sizes.

The reason companies get away with this and why we don't notice it sooner is to do with psychology and packaging tricks.

One of the boldest shrinkflation examples is with toilet paper.

Last year, Walmart shrunk their ultra-strong toilet rolls by 48 sheets.

And last year, UK supermarket Waitrose reduced theirs by a fifth.

You'd think that that much of a reduction would be very noticeable.

But with a careful recipe of shrinking the size of each sheet, putting fewer sheets on a roll, and increasing the size of the tube, the shrinkflation has gone broadly unnoticed.

These sorts of tricks are what make the economic tactics so dishonest.

Companies are relying on the fact that we are too busy and too caught up with our own lives to notice that their new improved packaging actually means less product.

Take Skippy peanut butter, for instance.

The price of these two tubs is the same, and you wouldn't immediately tell, unless you look at the weight, that you're getting less peanut butter for the same price.

But if you turn the jar over, you'll see the indentation which allows them to give you eight ounces less peanut butter, while making you think you're getting the same.

That's a 17% decrease.

Some governments are cracking down.

Last year, France made it compulsory for retailers to notify shoppers of shrinkflation.

Other countries have followed suit.

However, in a British parliamentary inquiry into fairness in the food supply, politicians justified the practice.

There are different motivations for that, but also there are some health benefits in reducing the size of chocolate bars.

Even US President Joe Biden is fuming about shrinkflation.

Some companies are trying to pull a fast one by shrinking the products little by little and hoping you won't notice.

Give me a break.

And this year, the Shrinkflation Prevention Act has been introduced by US Senator Robert Casey, who called the practice greedflation.

So how can you protect yourself from paying more for less?

Firstly, ignore the big product price, and instead keep track of the unit price on your favourite products.

That's the price per serving, per sheet, or per ounce.

It's the best way to tell if you're getting less buying for your buck.

Also, don't be afraid to call out shrinkflation on social media.

People did it with Toblerone when they removed a quarter of the chocolate by increasing the gaps between the triangles, which they were forced to undo.

Shrinkflation isn't going away any time soon, but by being aware of it, you can take your autonomy back and make choices with the full picture.

Thank you so much for watching.

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