How to beat shrinkflation and get more for your money

Does your bag of crisps feel more like a bag of air these days? Does your favourite chocolate bar feel like it’s getting smaller and smaller? It’s not just your imagination. You’re experiencing shrinkflation.

Shrinkflation is when businesses shrink their products but keep the price tag. It’s a bit of a sneaky practice where you get less value for your money.

So, here is what you need to know about shrinkflation and how to avoid it.

What is shrinkflation?

Shrinkflation happens when brands reduce the size or weight of their products without lowering the price. It’s basically a sneaky price hike. Businesses do it to manage rising costs without changing the price tag.

Examples of shrinkflation

To put it into perspectives, we’ve listed some popular examples of shrinkflation below:

• Mars Celebrations tubs went down from 550g to 500g from 2024 to 2025
• Quality Street tubs went down from 600g to 550g from 2024 to 2025
• Terry’s Chocolate Orange went down from 157g to 145g from 2024 to 2025
• Lurpak butter once weighed 250g but is now just 200g
• Pringles tubes went from 200g to 185g over the years

Other shrinkflation tactics

Shrinkflation isn’t just about weight. Other examples include:

• crisps bags full of air to make them look bigger
• taller, slimmer bottles that hold less of your favourite drink
• small tweaks to ingredients, such as fruit juices with less fruit in them
• fewer biscuits or sweets in your usual pack

How to beat shrinkflation

A few smart habits can help you avoid paying more for less.

Check the weight or quantity

Even if your pack of biscuits looks the same as always, it’s worth taking a look at the information on the back. Check the grams or number of items. Subtle changes can go unnoticed if you don’t keep an eye on them.

Compare unit prices

Shops often show the price per 100g on shelf labels. Smaller packs with lower prices often seem cheaper but could actually end up costing you more per gram. Of course, it doesn’t mean you should always buy the biggest pack because it’s the cheapest. Be conscious of food waste and only buy it if you know you’ll use it before it goes off. 

Feel the packaging

Avoid the disappointment that comes with opening a bag of crisps that’s 90% air. Gently feel the packaging of products like crisps, popcorn and nuts to work out how full it is. You can even compare different products side by side so you get less air.

Watch out for special offers

Sometimes promo deals are used to hide inflation. A two-for-one deal might sound like a great deal until you realise the packs have shrunk significantly since last year.

Shop around

Different supermarkets might stock different product sizes of the same brand. Take a look at the label and compare across supermarkets to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible.