Why Reddit Is Accusing Aldi Of Shrinkflation
If you've been around long enough, you've probably witnessed inflation and its effects. Inflation can occur when the prices of goods rise as a result of increases in production costs, or when there is an upswing in the demand for certain products and services (via Investopedia).
No businesses are immune to this common economic phenomenon, and with the goal of keeping their profits at a maximum, they may partake in the notorious money-saving method known as shrinkflation. Also referred to as "grocery shrink ray," "deflation" and "package downsizing," shrinkflation is the act of sneakily reducing the size or quality of a product while keeping prices the same. The goal of this practice is to avoid raising prices and deterring customers as a result ... that is, of course, assuming customers won't notice these changes (via DailyFinances).
Unfortunately for Aldi, one shopper did notice a subtle difference in a popular food item carried at the store and took to Reddit to share the grievance.
The subtle change that turned Reddit red
In the Aldi thread, a Redditor made a post revealing the alleged shrinkflated product to be Aldi's tortillas. In the photo, a recently purchased tortilla is laid on top of an older tortilla. Both are branded as the same product and sold for the same price, but the newer one is visibly smaller. The caption reads, "Shrinkflation my breakfast burritos." The Redditor follows up in the comments: "These tortillas are from the same 'burrito'-sized package. The two tortillas on the outside of the package were normal. The six tortillas on the inside of the package were significantly smaller."
Users noticed this difference in their own purchases too, and many agreed that the product had likely fallen victim to shrinkflation. They left confirmatory comments such as, "I noticed the same thing too! Had to check the package to see if I had accidentally gotten a smaller size."
Though the change isn't that substantial, it is just one of many ways that shrinkflation causes shoppers to get less bang for their buck. When buying groceries, these slight differences can certainly add up, so shoppers have every right to warn each other about these changes and call them out before they get out of hand.