Are Things Getting Smaller? I'm Angry!

[Spindulik]

Here's what tipped the iceberg for me. It has been a year since I enjoyed a klondike bar. They are 3"x3" by 1" thick ice cream bars, coated with chocolate. Now they are 1/2" thick. Who are they trying to kid? The 8-pack package is the same size and color. The price is still about the same. I am angry! They should raise the price and keep the treat the same size, 1" thick.


Here's a few other things I have noticed over the years, from other manufacturers.
Potato chips More air, less chips. (Yeah, they say the air protects the chips from breaking, but 1 cubic foot of air?)

Big Jerky It was never actually big, until this years model came out! What a rip-off! I just bought a Big Jerky last week and it was a joke. Half the size in all dimensions, and it cost more. The manufacture didn't bother to slowly reduce the size over time, to fake you out. Bang, they just came out with a smaller version, trying to pawn it off as the original.

Coffee All of the manufacturers are selling coffee this year, in the same size can as last year, but instead of 16 ounces, it is now 11 ounces.



Packaging is another form of cost savings for the manufacturers. Here's another list that the consumer is not supposed to notice.

Pop and Beer Cans Every year they get thinner and thinner. They are so thin now that if you drop an unopened can on a table, it breaks a leak.

HERSHEY's bar wrapper They are made of tough plastic now. You destroy the candy by the time you open it. I like to print custom candy wrappers for baby showers and birthdays, but it is hell trying to re-wrap the new style HERSHEY bar.

Wine and Spirits This is an old trick, but still applies. The bottom of the glass bottle is concave and thick. It gives you the appearance that you are purchasing a huge bottle filled to the top, but 50% of what you see is glass magnifying the contents.

Fun Size Anything that is "Fun Size" (especially during Halloween) is a tiny candy bar with a tiny wrapper that looks like the regular size cannot possibly be FUN when it is less than 1/3 the original size.

25% More than the leading brand! They never tell you what the leading brand is. They don't even actually tell you what 25% of what is more. I guess the potato chips have 25% more air in the bag than the leading brand.


Now that I have touched the subject, I am sure there are many more products that you can add to the list too.

[Donnie Darko]

This is me calling my friends to say what a good post i just seen.

[Keikan]

and

Kraft Dinner: Same box less pasta

[BigDaddy555]

fast food is getting ridiculous, more money, less food.

as far as chips, a 25 cent bag now cost 30 cents

I still remember when the 20 oz cokes came out and they cost 69 cents....and Im only 26 yrs old! Now it costs about 1.19 and the damn C2 is just a freaking marketing gimmick, they are making them in 8 packs and selling them for more than a regular 12 pack....

Anyway, I feel what your saying in this thread.......we could easily run this one up to 1000 posts!

[wontellyagen]

how's this... discussed marketing techniques.
The evolution of the fountain drinks.
A few years ago McDonald's offered it's employees a bonus if anyone could increase it's soda sales.
someone suggested... make the straw diameter bigger, thus allowing more flow to each swallow..... add more salt to the fries to add to the need of each swallow.

Comet sink scrub: The makers of comet scrub offered it's marketing employees a million dollar bonus if anyone could come up with an ad or method to increase it's sales. One of the stenographers (long time back, eh?) attending the meeting suggested, "make the holes bigger" use the same size container, just make the holes bigger.
When your used to shaking the container a given amount of times, the added diameter will increase the amount delivered.
No one ever noticed the increase in the size of the holes and comet's sales increased 20% that year. hmmm, just about the same percentage of the increase of the holes

[manker]

Originally posted by Spindulik@5 July 2004 - 03:58
Here's what tipped the iceberg for me. It has been a year since I enjoyed a klondike bar. They are 3"x3" by 1" thick ice cream bars, coated with chocolate. Now they are 1/2" thick. Who are they trying to kid? The 8-pack package is the same size and color. The price is still about the same. I am angry! They should raise the price and keep the treat the same size, 1" thick.


Here's a few other things I have noticed over the years, from other manufacturers.
Potato chips More air, less chips. (Yeah, they say the air protects the chips from breaking, but 1 cubic foot of air?)

Big Jerky It was never actually big, until this years model came out! What a rip-off! I just bought a Big Jerky last week and it was a joke. Half the size in all dimensions, and it cost more. The manufacture didn't bother to slowly reduce the size over time, to fake you out. Bang, they just came out with a smaller version, trying to pawn it off as the original.

Coffee All of the manufacturers are selling coffee this year, in the same size can as last year, but instead of 16 ounces, it is now 11 ounces.



Packaging is another form of cost savings for the manufacturers. Here's another list that the consumer is not supposed to notice.

Pop and Beer Cans Every year they get thinner and thinner. They are so thin now that if you drop an unopened can on a table, it breaks a leak.

HERSHEY's bar wrapper They are made of tough plastic now. You destroy the candy by the time you open it. I like to print custom candy wrappers for baby showers and birthdays, but it is hell trying to re-wrap the new style HERSHEY bar.

Wine and Spirits This is an old trick, but still applies. The bottom of the glass bottle is concave and thick. It gives you the appearance that you are purchasing a huge bottle filled to the top, but 50% of what you see is glass magnifying the contents.

Fun Size Anything that is "Fun Size" (especially during Halloween) is a tiny candy bar with a tiny wrapper that looks like the regular size cannot possibly be FUN when it is less than 1/3 the original size.

25% More than the leading brand! They never tell you what the leading brand is. They don't even actually tell you what 25% of what is more. I guess the potato chips have 25% more air in the bag than the leading brand.


Now that I have touched the subject, I am sure there are many more products that you can add to the list too.

conspiracy theorists will tell you that it's all a sinister plot by the U.S. government to make it's chubby citizens eat less.



but that's ridiculous, right?

[JONNO_CELEBS]

Bit like Macdonalds narrowing their doors to make people feel fat

I used to think things shrinking was just me getting bigger, but I have noticed some choc bars are like tiny compared to how they used to be, Wagon Wheels used to be about 4", now they about 2.5"
And Topic bars are 40p but now the size of a Penguin wtf?

I'm probably the only guy in history to ever have a topic bar without a single hazelnut in it :helpsmile:

Jonno B)

[sArA]

Originally posted by JONNO_CELEBS@5 July 2004 - 10:11


I'm probably the only guy in history to ever have a topic bar without a single hazelnut in it :helpsmile:

Jonno B)

If you had sent it to the manufacturers and complained, they would have probably sent you a whole box full!!!!

[GepperRankins]

Originally posted by JONNO_CELEBS@5 July 2004 - 10:11
Bit like Macdonalds narrowing their doors to make people feel fat

I used to think things shrinking was just me getting bigger, but I have noticed some choc bars are like tiny compared to how they used to be, Wagon Wheels used to be about 4", now they about 2.5"
And Topic bars are 40p but now the size of a Penguin wtf?

I'm probably the only guy in history to ever have a topic bar without a single hazelnut in it :helpsmile:

Jonno B)

mars bars too. they decide to target by aing 40% air and shortening them half an inch

[sArA]

Mars bars are definately more skimpy on the chocolate, as are frys turkish delight....kitkats seem to be ok still tho....