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

你可能以為是 2 號，但實際上 2 號和 3 號的尺寸是一樣的。

Both are 25% smaller than number 1.

兩者都比 1 號小 25%。

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

但排列的方式，3 號就很難看得出來了。

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.

正是這種暗箱操作的伎倆讓人們很難看到產品在飲用，這種現象正在我們的超市貨架上蔓延，從衛生捲紙到 Toblerone，無所不包。

So why are products getting smaller?

那麼，為什麼產品越來越小？

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

我翻遍了家裡所有的小木屋，找到了幾年前的吉百利奶油蛋，我把它帶了過來。

This is this year's egg.

這是今年的彩蛋。

Yes.

是的。

This is the egg.

這就是前幾年的彩蛋。

Oh wow!

哦，哇！

Look at that!

看看這個差別！

Judge for yourself America.

美國人自己判斷吧。

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

演員 BJ Novak 發現了一個典型的縮水案例，並在電視上大罵吉百利。

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.

標準版的彩蛋明顯縮小了，但在吉百利網站當時的常見問題中，在回答為什麼尺寸變了時，它說：「沒有變，你只是長大了。」

Shrinkflation has become a widespread economic tactic.

通貨緊縮已成為一種普遍的經濟手段。

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

2012 年至 2017 年間，英國有 2529 種產品在價格不變的情況下縮水。

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

Reddit 上有一整條線程專門跟蹤這些變化。

And I got one for 50, great!

我用 50 美元買到了一個，太棒了！

And then look!

再看！

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

裡面裝的巧克力連四分之一都不到。

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

我把它放在我的另一罐湯上面，發現它小了很多。

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.

在多力多滋的所有者 Frito-Lay 被揭發後，他們承認減少了薯片的裝袋量，並說：「我們只從袋子裡拿出了一點點，這樣我們就可以給你同樣的價格，你就可以繼續享用薯片了。」

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.

還有一種類似的手段叫 "撇脂"（skimflation），這種手段經常使用，但較難跟蹤，即產品的重量和價格不變，但成分的品質下降。

Take Campbell's cream of potato soup.

就拿坎貝爾馬鈴薯奶油湯來說吧。

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

馬鈴薯曾經是清單上的第一種成分，但現在是水。

So why do they do it?

那麼，他們為什麼要這樣做呢？

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

由於通貨膨脹，他們使用的所有原料和資源的成本都在上漲。

Then the companies transfer that cost to the consumer.

然後，公司將成本轉嫁給消費者。

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

但如果他們漲價，我們可能會注意到，並選擇更便宜的品牌。

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

所以，他們保持價格不變，而是通過收回部分產品來收回成本。

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

哈佛大學的一項研究證明，人們對價格的變化比對數量的變化更敏感。

And this can be fruitful for companies.

而這對企業來說是富有成效的。

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

1980 年代，美國航空公司在為顧客提供的每份晚餐沙拉中都去掉了一個橄欖，每年可節省約 4 萬美元。

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

但是，通貨緊縮不僅僅是為了追趕通貨膨脹。

Companies are raking in the profit.

各家公司都賺得盆滿缽滿。

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.

2020 年 7 月至 2024 年 7 月，整體通脹率上升了 21%，而同期企業利潤卻增長了 90%，幾乎是通脹率的四倍半。

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

各公司都在利用這個機會盡可能地增加利潤。

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

而當通貨膨脹率降低時，產品將永遠無法恢復到原來的尺寸。

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

公司之所以能逍遙法外，我們之所以沒有早點發現，與心理學和包裝技巧有關。

One of the boldest shrinkflation examples is with toilet paper.

最大膽的通貨緊縮例子之一是衛生紙。

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

去年，沃爾瑪將其超強衛生捲紙縮小了 48 張。

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

而去年，英國超市 Waitrose 將其銷售量減少了五分之一。

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

你會覺得，這麼大的降幅會非常明顯。

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.

但是，通過縮小每張紙的尺寸、減少一卷紙的張數和增大管子的尺寸等精心策劃的方法，縮水現象基本上沒有引起人們的注意。

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

這些伎倆正是經濟手段的不誠實之處。

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.

公司所依賴的事實是，我們太忙，太沉溺於自己的生活，而不會注意到他們新改進的包裝實際上意味著更少的產品。

Take Skippy peanut butter, for instance.

以 Skippy 花生醬為例。

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.

這兩桶花生醬的價格是一樣的，除非你看重量，否則你不會一眼看出同樣的價格買到了更少的花生醬。

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.

但是，如果你把罐子翻過來，你就會看到壓痕，這讓他們給你的花生醬少了八盎司，卻讓你以為你得到的是一樣的花生醬。

That's a 17% decrease.

減少了 17%。

Some governments are cracking down.

一些政府正在進行打擊。

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

去年，法國強制要求零售商向購物者通報商品縮水情況。

Other countries have followed suit.

其他國家也紛紛效仿。

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

然而，在英國議會對食品供應公平性的調查中，政客們卻為這種做法辯解。

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

這其中有不同的動機，但減少巧克力棒的體積也有一些健康益處。

Even US President Joe Biden is fuming about shrinkflation.

就連美國總統喬-拜登也對通貨緊縮大發雷霆。

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

一些公司正試圖通過一點一點地縮小產品，希望我們不會注意到。

Give me a break.

饒了我吧。

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

今年，美國參議員羅伯特-凱西（Robert Casey）提出了《防止通貨緊縮法案》（Shrinkflation Prevention Act），他將這種做法稱為 "貪婪通脹"（greedflation）。

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

那麼，如何保護自己不花冤枉錢呢？

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

首先，要忽略產品的大價格，而要對你喜歡的產品的單價進行跟蹤。

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

這是每一份、每張或每盎司的價格。

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

這是判斷你是否花了冤枉錢卻買了便宜貨的最佳方法。

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

此外，不要害怕在社交媒體上抨擊 "通貨緊縮"。

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.

人們在食用 Toblerone 時，通過增大三角形之間的間隙，去掉了四分之一的巧克力，然後被迫將其取下。

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.

通貨緊縮不會在短期內消失，但只要意識到這一點，你就能重新獲得自主權，在全面瞭解情況後做出選擇。

Thank you so much for watching.

感謝收看。

If you haven't already, don't forget to subscribe and turn on your notifications so you never miss a video.

如果你還沒有訂閱，請不要忘記訂閱並打開通知，這樣你就不會錯過任何影片了。

And we also love hearing from you, so drop us a comment with any thoughts or questions and we'll see you next time.

我們也喜歡聽到你的意見，如果你有任何想法或問題，請給我們留言，我們下次再見。