[catfish1957]

If the selected item is no longer available, or if there have been changes in the quality or quantity (for example, eggs sold in packages of ten when they previously were sold by the dozen) of the good or service since the last time prices were collected, the economic assistant selects a new item or records the quality change in the current item.

That answers my earlier question around what happens if the price stays same when say a box of 18 oz of cornflakes at $4.00 suddenly becomes a 16 oz box that costs $4.00 The problem I have now is that this practice is increasingly rampant in all aspects of retail.

When doing the math, this "cornflake like event" in turn means that a new readjusted baseline has to be established with no net impact on inflation stats.

Sneaky way to hide inflation IMO.

[Wyatt's Torch]

No go back an re-read the italicizes part. They make statistical adjustments to the data for exactly the reason you claim.

[BipolarBob]

That answers my earlier question around what happens if the price stays same when say a box of 18 oz of cornflakes at $4.00 suddenly becomes a 16 oz box that costs $4.00

That's called shrinkflation. It is rampant in the food industry.