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’ve been in Costco, Aldi’s, and Meijer (which is a midwest grocery store) in the last week and stocks look really good. I was pleasantly surprised.
The “great wall of buttwipe” in Costco was totally full.
The problem is we have too many trucks/truckers on the road. We can thin them down by mandating vaccines or they can’t deliver our goods/food to us. We’ll show them who’s boss.
Author makes a good point. You must always compare prices per the same unit of measure. This shrinkage thing has been going on for a while. Real sneaky.
I remember the shrinkflation thing back when tuna cans shrunk to 6 or 5 ounce cans. Sneaky bastards.
Hell the damned ABC/Liquor stores here in My Town are out of everything except the high dollar items.
Heard rumors that they will be shutting down soon !!!!
WTF OVER !!!!!!
BTW they are state run.
I’ve been buying 2 6-packs of toilet paper every shopping trip for months now. I go 2-3 times a month and there are only 2 of us so I’m good for about 6 to 8 months.
Article from 2010 documenting tuna can shrinkage from 6oz. to 5oz.
I remember a story told to me some years ago. Some people I knew went to Moscow when the Soviet Union still existed. They were American tourists aboard a bus going down the highway.
It started to rain. The bus driver quickly pulled over and jumped out. He installed windshield wipers on the bus. The bus passengers noticed all the cars on the highway had pulled over to do the same thing.
They never drove anywhere with the wiper blades installed unless it was raining. Wiper blades were so hard to find, they would often be stolen if left on the car because there was such a chronic shortage of wiper blades.
Shrinkflation.
I hate shrinkflation.
It’s so gutless.
And, they’re two-ply, so you’re really good for over a year! ;)
I’m looking for some USA-made metal garbage cans for mine. Too many mice.
Somebody has too much time on their hands. Stock is fine on everything I need.
Walmart today had only about 10% of usual toothpaste stock....
It was shocking
Author makes a good point. You must always compare prices per the same unit of measure. This shrinkage thing has been going on for a while. Real sneaky.
—
At some point in the not too distant future, certain items like coffee, chips, and candy bars are going to shrink to where they wink out of existence, having become a singularity.
Dark winter.
Guys, get your stuff for Christmas now. It is probably to late, but you won’t find it much longer. Source food also.
The cost of outsource our capital is happening now.
At this rate... our grandkids are going to be asking us “Pop pop, did they have the small complementary magnifying glass taped to the outside when you were a kid?”
abc is state? i did not know that
Actually, the picture of the empty shelves looks exactly like my HEB grocery store for the past 15-20 years. The past 3-4 years, they’ve filled empty shelves with entire aisles of Whataburger brand mustard. We get the garbage the other HEB stores refuse to accept. Venezuela’s got nuthin’ on this HEB.
Since covid, I finally gave up and am now driving four towns over to Walmart. We’re still getting some substitutions and everything has limits. I’ve had to change brands and such. FYI, I cook from scratch so it’s just the basics.
Part of my job is logistics.
If you live in a “big dollar” area (wealthy) you are getting the goods first.
That is ending.
One of the busiest ports in China is shut down. Stuff from Europe is slowing way down too. We import most of our prepackaged food (notice the buffalo chicken shortage?) and that is breaking down.
It isn’t just the US or North America. Most of the world is now feeling the pain from laying off everyone for a year.
The good thing? I expect a lot of domestic manufacturing in the next ten years. The bad thing? No one wants to work anymore.
So if everything is fine where you live, stock up. It won’t be.
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