More product downsizing

[vbak]

I went to the grocery store today and noticed that coffee is down to 11 oz [$7+] and cornmeal is in a squatty container at 24 oz and $2.55. I think the price is the result of the drought this summer, or maybe it's too soon to see such an increase in corn products? Oh well, takes up less space in my cupboard and empties my wallet at the same time!

[Canice]

Corn prices are up because of the drought, though that's not to say that and the package downsizing couldn't be mutually exclusive, since that's occurs across products. Do you have the option to buy your cornmeal in bulk? It's a lot cheaper than packaged, I would think (can't think of anything that isn't).
I don't know about the coffee: I buy a half pound around every 20 days or so and know the price has gone up a little over the past year or so, but it always increases over time.

[vbak]

No bulk around hereIt's not only cheaper, but the fact that you can buy only what you need.

[wallycat]

The yogurts are getting even smaller...from 8 oz to 7 oz to 6 oz and some of the newer ones are 5.5 ounces.

I know some of my catfood went from 6 oz to 5.5 oz.

They said beef is going to go through the roof this year (drought impacting feed and farmers selling off because of it).

[Canice]

The yogurt thing bugs me because it's not something I typically keep on hand, and all those old muffin or quick bread recipes call for 8 ounces. Not a big deal, but kind of annoying.

[PurplePotato]

I wonder if the yogurt is more about calorie count? So that consumers will stand there and compare calories but not pay attention to the difference in serving sizes?

[foodfly]

Made a special trip to the grocery store yesterday to grab Don Francisco flavored coffees on sale for $3.99/12 oz. can. The lowest price ever! I grabbed 5 cans of our favorites and stocked up. You should have seen the look of surprise on DH's face when he realized 16 oz./1 lb. packaging was a thing of the past (He doesn't grocery shop often, so it was all new to him). And you say 12 oz. is shrinking to 11 oz.?

Same response when we picked up a bag of Cutie Clementines in the Produce section. The 4# bag is now a 3# package, but for the same price we used to pay for 4#. Wouldn't have purchased at all except we already ate this year's crop on our small tree.

Put that on top of the $4.87 DH paid a couple of weeks ago for one 24 oz. loaf of Orowheat Honey Wheat bread I took the bread machine out after that revelation and went back to making my own.

Don't even ask me about the high price of hay for the horses

[amarante]

This has been going on for years and it's because consumers will notice a price increase before they will notice that the contents of the package have been decreased especially since the outer package will generally remain the same.

As I recall Hagen Daaz did this for their little pints of ice cream and the new ones looked identical to the older ones that were still in the freezer.

Bulk is always going to be cheaper provided you can find it and use it enough.

It's been a bad year for farming and corn - corn prices impact lots of other food items since it is fed to livestock. The cost of transportation/shipping is also high.

What I have particularly noticed this year is how high fruits and vegetables are in general. There are almost never any sales. I love the Clementine/mandarin/Cutie type of tangerines and in the past, there has ALWAYS been sales on the 3 and 5 pound boxed bags but this year there were no sales.

[peachesncream]

The yogurts are getting even smaller...from 8 oz to 7 oz to 6 oz and some of the newer ones are 5.5 ounces.

I).

I also have some recipes that call for an 8 oz. container of yogurt.

I wonder - how much yogurt is that when measured in cups or tablespoons? Does anyone know?

I'm assuming the 8 oz. was weight rather than volume, but I'm not sure.

In recent years, I've been writing the size of an item (can or containter, in ounces, for example) that the recipe calls for so at least I know when a new container has gotten smaller and I need to make adjustments.

It's maddening, but I expect it to continue.

[Tutalady]

If you make muffins from a mix........look and see how many muffins your package yields..........anyone have a 5 cup muffin pan. I buy Martha White now because they still make 6 and when I called and thanked them, they sent me coupons for 2 free packages.

[peachesncream]

I've found two brands of cake mix that have not gotten smaller. These are still 18.25 ounces:

Kroger house brand

Ginger Evans brand at Sav-A-Lot stores

I've tried the Ginger Evans brand, and had great success with it.

[vbak]

If you make muffins from a mix........look and see how many muffins your package yields..........anyone have a 5 cup muffin pan. I buy Martha White now because they still make 6 and when I called and thanked them, they sent me coupons for 2 free packages.

What a nice thank you! I expect it will get worse! Why not raise the price a bit and leave sizing alone? The packages are getting smaller, and the prices go up instead of remaining the same.

[swedish cook]

They said beef is going to go through the roof this year (drought impacting feed and farmers selling off because of it).

Double whammy: 2012 Midwest drought impacting the price of corn & 2011 drought in Texas forcing farmers to sell off their cattle.

Don't even ask me about the high price of hay for the horses

In 2011 hay became a precious commodity best locked up safely to avoid theft

[patt]

Besides the drought, many acres of corn are now going to ethanol production instead of food. This isn't impacting the US only. In the southwest, the drought is going to continue so those prices are only going to get higher. Have you ever seen them really drop to prior levels? Dogfood has dropped from a #40 lb bag down to a 33# bag and the price keeps inching up.

Between price and value conciousness, food safety and food politics, I have probably changed my buying habits more in the last 5 years than in the 40 plus consumer years before.

[Tutalady]

I had bought a "package" of white albacore at Sam's .............just took out a can and 5 3/4oz???Are you kidding me.........that is about enough for one sandwich!

[DCook]

This drives me nuts. I still have one kid in diapers and they've done it a million times with the diaper sizing. I mean what are they going to do eventually - sell me one diaper?

Thats whats so ludicrous about this whole thing - you can only do it so many times. Its really a very stupid "trick"

[gobluem82]

I don't know if this was mentioned in any other threads, but Domino sugar now comes in 4-pound bags instead of the usual 5. When the change was first made, it was put on sale at our store, presumably so that people would be so excited about the low price that they wouldn't notice the smaller package.

[vbak]

Yes, Gobluemom, I have noticed that over the last couple of years. Pitiful, isn't it? Prices will never go down.

[margeslp]

I don't know if this was mentioned in any other threads, but Domino sugar now comes in 4-pound bags instead of the usual 5. When the change was first made, it was put on sale at our store, presumably so that people would be so excited about the low price that they wouldn't notice the smaller package.

Hope I can remember that Weight Watchers has you lift a 5# sugar bag to send message. Guess we are all smart enough to raise another 5# of something to cue us.