We are in the process of switching brands for the dry kibble we feed our three livestock dogs. The dogs are huge, each over 100 pounds, and they eat a LOT of food. Our current brand, which I won’t name, began selling 38-pound bags for the same price as an older 50-pound bag.
It’s a good example of shrinkflation, a common problem visible to anyone who pays attention in the grocery-store aisles. You can read all about the economics of this portmanteau word at Wikipedia, but I’m curious about the term’s origin. The Online Etymology Dictionary was of no help, but a Stack Exchange discussion led to a possible first use in 2014. There’s a precedent, too, in the term “stagflation,” a bogeyman of 1970s economics.
Is this post shorter than last week? Since it costs you nothing but time to consume a post, it’s not shrinkflation. I simply found myself taciturn and grumpy this week about that dog food!
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Creative-Commons Image: Ink.com. I’m not a Nutella fan, either.