Monday, September 20, 2010

Marvelous Economics

There is no question that our country is experiencing difficult economic times. People are out of work; salaries and wages are frozen, or they are being cut. Yet in the face of these difficulties, it is business as usual for the creators of consumer products. Sticking it to the booboisie seems to be that usual business.
I eat half-dozen graham crackers every morning. Here they are. The amazing shrinking dollar value at your local store. This package contains ten percent less product by weight than did the previous package. In addition, the price at the checkout has increased by twenty percent. Arithmetic problem for you and the kiddies: What is the actual percentage increase in the price of these graham crackers? Hint: the answer is not thirty percent.

Be assured that any time you see new packaging or a new menu at your favorite restaurant that you will be paying higher prices than you were before.

The ice cream container shown here is the astounding three-pint half-gallon. In other words, it contains only 75% of the product contained in the previous packaging, even though it 'looks like' a half-gallon. Yet the cost to you is the same.

If I'm not mistaken, and I might be, this trend started years ago with the introduction of the thirteen ounce pound of coffee. Now everybody's doin' it.

Bon appetit.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah, the Grocery Shrink Ray. You never know when it's going to strike your favorite product.

Anonymous said...

Remember:

A pound is a pound
The world around.

Not any more!

vanilla said...

Jim-- Someone just sent me the link to the Grocery Shrink Ray.

http://tinyurl.com/y68euy3

Anon-- A pound is still a pound, it is just that it is used only to deceive, as in putting 14.6 ounces in what was a pound container, etc.

Lin said...

I am posting this thought for tomorrow, but you prompted me to mention it here.

I replaced my toilet paper on the roll the other day and noticed how it slid all over the roll. Hmmmmm. That's odd. I finally realized that they shaved a good 1/4 to 1/2 inch off the width of the roll!!! Gees, even my toilet paper????! Criminy. Pass me a corn cob.

vanilla said...

Lin-- Yep. If it's a consumer necessity, you will be getting less for more.

Shrink Ray hits USA
http://tinyurl.com/y68euy3

Sharkbytes (TM) said...

No kidding, vanilla! They are killin' us with marketing.

vanilla said...

Sharkbytes-- Killing us, quite literally, I fear. How far can it go?