Sneakflation has arrived and consumers are cutting back

Most people would agree that prices seemed to have taken a big jump two to three years ago. I cut back then and haven't changed my spending habits except to cut back more. I try to avoid taking Ubers, I'm still not going out very much. I'm far from broke but find everything almost outrageously expensive that it goes against my frugal nature.

This morning I got sticker shock when I ordered a bacon, egg and cheese on a roll and a large iced coffee and it cost $15.75.

Also - same size packaging but reduced quantity of product.

r2 We have a word for that already, it's shrinkflation.

Shrinkflation and sneakflation are 2 separate things, as the news report points out.

Advertising Oreos as a 'sale price' at 2 / $9 is deceptive and 'sneakflation'. The grocer is trying to convince the consumer this is a 'great price' when, in fact, Oreos were 2/ $5 not too long ago.

Yes, I was responding to r2, not to the OP. The two are separate, but related forms of inflation.

My sentiment is corporate America can go fuck itself. Their greed is out of control. I try my best to not consume things that come from a package. I am a share member of a food co-op that now owns a farm. For other household shopping, I go to an employee owned supermarket. As long as we are in late stage capitalism, and corporations are out to bleed consumers dry, this is how I intent to shop.

… intend.

Corporations again have cover to raise their prices (tariffs!) much like they did after the pandemic (supply chain!).

Certainly greedy corporations are not to blame, though! Let's see if Cheeto suffers the blame like Biden did.

Please, these corporations can afford it. So their CEO doesn't get 25 million in a parachute clause, I'm sure they can live with a cool 15.

My partner wanted to try a pastrami sandwich from a local deli he has eyed for sometime. It was $30.00.

[quote]Shrinkflation and sneakflation are 2 separate things

Let's just lump all of the various flations together and call them Trumpflation.

Cutting back?

My Amazon history:

54 orders placed in last 30 days

Keeping the price, lowering amount on the sly. Like ice cream manufacturers years ago.

I went shopping for an item (plastic magazine holders) at Office Depot and Staples two days ago. Both stores were down to one display of each, with none elsewhere, and BOTH stores rang up 3 dollars more than what was on the little price tags that identify prices below shelf items. At Office Depot I just blew it off and paid, but at Staples, I said, wow the price said $18.99 and he said, interesting, it rings up at $23. But he gave it to me at $18.99. I think big box stores that are supplied with stuff from China are just building in price increases but don't have sufficient staff in their brick and mortar stores to go around and reprice everything on the shelves.

R14 Something similar happened to me at WalMart. I went in to buy a 'cheap' pair of slip-on sneakers for when I take the dog out for a quick walk. I found just what I was looking for and the tag on the sneakers said $9.99. When the cashier scanned the barcode the price came up as $19.99. Double the price. I pointed this out, and she just gave me the Gen Z stare (had no idea what to do), so I suggested she call a manager over (meantime, the 'express line' was growing behind me). Manager comes over and tells me there was a 'price increase' so I have to pay the new price. I reminded him that's not how it works - they have to sell it for the advertised price which is hanging on the price tag. He wouldn't budge. I left and went to Target the next day.

Vegans are thrilled.

“Bait & switch” is against the law! If a store doesn't honor the price marked on the shelf, and the store manager doesn’t make it right, I would not hesitate to report them to the local or state consumer protection agencies, and/or BBB. You may also be able to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

R17 True, but do you really think any state consumer protection agency, or the BBB or the FTC will waste their time taking on WalMart, which brings millions of dollars in tax revenue to our state ? I sincerely doubt it.

Just like during the early months of the pandemic, when our governor set all these rules for retailers as they slowly reopened - such as 'one way' aisles in the stores, 6' social distance between people in the store at all times, everyone must be masked, etc. - and WalMart violated each and every one. Did she close them down for the violations like she did the small mom&pop stores and fine them ? Of course not. She went on TV and said 'WalMart is too big to control', and she trusted they were doing their best to comply.