What are the Legal Implications of Shrinkflation?
In the News
Burger king in the US is facing legal action for falsely advertising their Whopper sandwich larger than it actually is
Other brands like Taco Bell have also been sued for selling their products with half the fillings as advertised
Lets see if it happens here in the UK, i believe they use the same advertising everywhere
Other retailers need to be careful now, with everyone using shrinkflation as a way to increase their profits, the actual size of their products will be smaller also than their advertising
I noticed a while back Poundland had 200g on the price label for their Twin Peaks chocolate bar but the bars themselves had shrunk to 160 or 180g on the shelf. I guess even shops get caught out with shrinkflation sometimes. I don't believe they were attempting to fool customers just they hadn't updated the pricing labels. I'm a reasonable person though I could see clearly the actual product had a lower weight. In fact I think I previously bought a 200g version when the shelf had a mixture of both the 200g and 180/160g versions.
BonzoBanana It makes you wonder how much further they can shrink their products B
Before long they will only be big enough for the Borrowers to eat 
Advertising is always artificially enhanced, that’s nothing new. My dad used to work in advertising before computers when it was all photography. Food was always plastic or models not real and holiday brochures had blue filters. Dad wasn’t the ad company just working as art director for them. Ads are designed to sell, nothing more. So I never really believe them. 
JLouM It's not a problem with most things J, except with food, when you walk into a restaurant or fast food establishment after seeing a picture of this burger overflowing with ingredients and buy one a few minutes later nearly flat as a pancake with the bare minimum inside it it's a kick in the teeth
telmel I've had so few McDonalds or Burger King burgers in my life you could probably count them on one hand each. I recently bought some short life 1/4lb burgers in Tesco it was six quarter pounders for £1.16 which was one quarter of its normal price of £4.70. They went in the freezer and are used when needed. The point is you can make a far nicer burger at home exactly as you like it with much fresher ingredients and healthier bread. When I buy a Indian or Chinese curry from a takeaway they seem much nicer than I can make at home but burgers are much worse. I think people need to think more about how they spend their money. These franchised burger places have to pay big money to the franchise companies back in the USA. This again is very damaging to our economy and means a poor quality unhealthy and small meal for you. Try to buy a burger if you want one from a non-franchise restaurant they are often much nicer and healthier. You'll be supporting local businesses and your own area much more.
I think there is definitely a case for investigation when items shrink in size but are then advertised as being on offer at a slightly lower price. I mentioned this in another chat when I bought a block of butter which I assumed was 250gms (the usual weight) priced 'on offer' at £1.70. However, it was only 200gms so had it been the normal size of 250gms it would have been over £2.10 which is dearer than the existing 250gm blocks of other makes just as popular.
Lynibis If you have one locally get your butter from farmfoods and freeze the surplus if necessary. It's £1.29 for a 250g. I tend to buy 3 or 4 when I go in there which could be a few weeks inbetween. It's quite local to me as the 2nd nearest supermarket after Aldi but its worth going as they do some stuff very cheap and I just cherry pick the bargains. If you can get to £25 there is often a £2 voucher in their flyer to make use of it. Almost impossible for me to get to £25 as I just come away with the bargain stuff which is probably between £5-10 per visit. A recent visit I got 4 honeydew melons for 19p each. I let them mature a bit and they were lovely.
BonzoBanana thanks for the heads up, that is a big difference in price. I do have a large Farmfoods nearby so will go take a look.
That’s good news. Fingers crossed that those misleading advertisements are corrected. Companies must assume we’re all blind!
Pure greed is such a vile trait. I'm actually really please to hear this news. Companies keep treating customers like idiots, which they are not so it serves them right.
I generally go with the Whopper Jr. meal as it's the cheapest for me, but even eating a bigger ones it doesn't really fill me up. Same goes for McD's.
And after an hour or so my stomach wants to "eject" it. Fast food is just usable as a fix to fill your stomach if you're really hungry.
Shrinkflation is really a worried one. Every pack contents carefully designed based on the needs. Worrying as big brands are doing these
Join for free to get genuine deals, money saving advice and help from our friendly community
Chief Bargain Hunter
