Posted on 08/24/2021 1:43:04 PM PDT by blam
The prices of a lot of things are up these days, which fits the common definition of “inflation.”
Meanwhile, an increasing number of products are appearing at the same price but in smaller packages.This is inflation’s slippery first cousin “shrinkflation.” Here’s a sampling from a recent study:
• Bounty paper towels: The triple back has shrunk from 165 sheets to just 147.
• Costco’s toilet paper: A large pack was 425 sheets last year, but now is just 380.
• Dial Body Wash: Reduced from 21 ounces to 16 ounces, a 25 percent reduction.
• Ziploc freezer bags: 54 bags last year, but just 50 bags this year.
• Quaker Instant Oatmeal: 10 packs last year, but just 8 this year for some varieties.
Empty Shelves
But what about when the thing you want just isn’t there? Where does the complete absence of something fit on the inflation spectrum? This question is no longer academic, as empty shelves appear in stores across the US. (One nearby example: The Sequim, Washington Costco is – shades of 2020 — currently out of toilet paper.)
From yesterday’s Wall Street Journal:
“ Why You Can’t Find Everything You Want at Grocery Stores
Labor shortages, raw materials’ scarcity make supermarket supplies unpredictable; some executives say problems are worse than spring 2020’s dearth.
Grocery-store chains are still battling supply challenges that some executives said are as bad as what they saw in spring 2020, when hoarding left holes in stocks of some staples.
Industry executives say new problems are arising weekly, driven by shortages of labor and raw materials. Groceries including frozen waffles and beverages remain scarce as some food companies anticipate disruptions lasting into 2022. A wider range of products is running short and logistical challenges are compounding for many retailers.
Donny Rouse, chief executive of Louisiana-based Rouses Markets, said he is struggling to fill shelves as his company runs low on everything from pet food to canned goods. The chain of more than 60 supermarkets is sometimes receiving as little as 40% of what it orders, prompting Mr. Rouse and his staff to try to secure products earlier and more often. Before the pandemic, Rouses received well over 90% of its orders.
“It is difficult for customers to get everything they want to get,” said Mr. Rouse, grandson of the chain’s founder.
Remind you of anything? Like maybe Venezuela’s ongoing hyperinflation, which looks like this:
As for whether empty shelves equal inflation, that’s complicated. For now let’s just say that 1) shortages are both a cause and an effect of rising inflation, and 2) it’s getting harder to view Third World financial crises as something that can’t happen here.
I had no idea about *sous vide*, looks pretty cool and I think we will take your suggestions. :) Thanks!
I’m pretty redneck and so salt licks, hot oil and fire are my usual. ;p
“Meat came from white butcher paper wrapped packages in the basement chest freezer.”
As God intended! :)
Another great thing about it is that there is a huge window in which you can pull the stuff out of the sous vide process, like a couple hours.
I guess my evening is going to be sous vide rabbit holes...hahaha
Can’t say I blame her. We’ve now got a situation where I may be able to find that guy and go that route.
Feel free to hit me with questions after you’ve done some reading, I’ve been doing it for a few years now.
That was a good one. I’d better brush up on my grammar skills after leaving out an important noun like that, lol.
Kroger isn’t much better where I live 30 miles outside Phoenix.
🤪
Shhhh! He thinks the slaughterhouse IS a ‘spa.’ Let the poor guy live in ignorance and enjoy his oats.
Wish someone would do the same for me these days! The oats and ignorance part - NOT the ‘spa!’ :)
Thanks, I’ll hold you to it. :)
Thanks, thanks, thanks. I’d forgotten about that. Putting that on the inside of a cabinet door so it won’t be forgotten.
My grandparents had 600 rolls of tp and 300 rolls of paper towels stored away back through all my growing up years. We used to laugh but now we see their wisdom.
No, I’m nowhere near that number.
When we were over there back in the 70s, they were grumbling about having toothpaste but no tooth brushes. Apparently the government made lists of what products were to be made every year but if something was left off, well, too bad.
Crazy shopping there, too. It’s not like tooth brushes and toothpaste would be in the same shop. That would make too
much sense. A shop might sell toothpaste and boots and several blocks away you’d finally find toothbrushes sold along side sewing machines.
One lady in our group broke her shoe heal so tossed the shoes in the garbage but a hotel employee personally delivered them to her next destination.
Folding the tp uses less than wading it up.
You have to calculate the unit price because too many times the shelf unit price tag is wrong.
Folding the tp uses less than making big wads. Limit them to one roll per week. If they use it up sooner, they’ve learned a most valuable lesson.
The reason this feels different is the folks trying to destabilize the country are getting help from commies who have used starvation as a tactic almost from the start...
I bought a package of Brach’s Halloween candy this week and was astounded how small the bag was.
Blue Bell ice cream, produced down the road which should be cheaper to transport, is $6.97 at Walmart. Our Walmart through the whole covid mess had just vanilla but now it’s also carrying Butter Pecan. That’s just down right ridiculous.
A few blocks away at HEB, they have nearly 20 flavors. Why the supply difference? The price there is 80 cents cheaper on the regular stuff but the low sugar (which used to all be the same price) is $7.18. That’s gone way past ridiculous to insulting.
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