Have you ever spent your precious money on something, only to realize the packaging has tricked you? Don't worry - you're not alone. In fact, trickster product designs have become so common there's a term for it: shrinkflation. The prices stay the same (or even go up) while the quality and quantity of the actual product decrease. The result? Grocery shopping just isn't what it used to be. But we've got you covered with these laugh-or-you'll-cry examples of deceiving packaging that'll help ensure you're not a victim of any brand's clever deception.
We've Been Catfished by... Glue
It's not hard to imagine this customer's pure horror after turning around the bottle of super glue, only to realize that it's nowhere close to being as big as it looks. This company also had no shame regarding this design since they decided to add a bit more plastic around the container just because they could. There's nothing more confusing than an unusual amount of excessive packaging with minimal purpose.
A ton of time and money could have been saved here when it came to designing this super glue, but it seems like those two things weren't a top priority.
This Hair Gel Is Playing Tricks on Customers
The only time this would be an issue is if you're heading toward your last scoop of hair gel when suddenly, there's nothing left. This company somehow opted for an optical illusion when designing this tub and is probably proud of it. Although the brand might view it as nothing more than a money-saving party trick, customers might consider this a big waste of money and an even bigger packaging failure.
Brands know well that their customers usually believe what they see and typically aren't interested in finding out what's sitting underneath their product- so why not take advantage of that?
From "chocolate Confection" to Nothing More Than "chocolatey Confection"
There comes a point in time when low-quality ingredients just can't be considered food anymore, and that's precisely what happened to this poor chocolate orange. Sometimes quantity just beats quality when it comes to big-name brands, which means that industry standards shift every once in a while. That might work for the company budget, but sometimes, customers don't always end up feeling too happy about it- especially since Terry's orange can't be considered chocolate anymore.
We would love to know why and how this regular, yet very popular, chocolate orange has suddenly shifted to the same dessert, but one that sits under the category of chocolatey.
That's More Air Than Food
We can't think of a person who doesn't love tortilla chips, but we're guessing that many customers walked right past these after someone exposed their secret since nobody's ever interested in buying air. Someone flipped them over to prove that there's more air than chips inside these bags for the world to see. They did such a good job that the bags actually look entirely empty when they're only almost empty in reality.
It happens all the time- big brands want their snack packages to appear even bigger, regardless of what might actually be inside the bag you've just picked up at the grocery store.
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire
Even though the can on the right in this picture is smaller than the one on the left, this company is attempting to claim that there's 35ml more product inside the smaller one. The can is obviously much smaller, and either they wanted to get away with a little white lie or somehow stuffed a lot more product into a tiny can. Honestly, we'll never really know what the answer is here.
Somehow, this company forgot to do the math when they put the size labels on the bottom of these spray cans while also declaring that the smaller can was bigger.
Oh, Does This Look Partially Empty to You? Don't Worry - They Just Generously Left "Room for Toppings"
We never thought there was a clever way to add less product into a package, but this yogurt brand has truly proved us wrong. They felt that they should at least explain why the yogurt wasn't filled up to the top of the container, and that's because they left room for toppings. The longer you look, the more It seems like there's just a bit too much space for a reasonable amount of toppings.
Unless someone is throwing six inches deep of toppings into the yogurt, the amount of added room here is definitely way too much. Apparently, yogurt also appreciates personal space.
Even Pringles Is Part of the Shrinkflation Revolution
Whether it's chips or chocolates, most products in the grocery store have managed to change in at least one way over the years. Apparently, pringles are one of them, where everything from that good old mascot to the size of the chips just isn't the same as it used to be. It's so obvious that this person couldn't help but take a picture of the dilemma to share across the internet.
The only upside to the new Pringles is that they're probably way easier to pop in your mouth, but the downside is that the smaller container will leave you wanting more.
A 12 Oz Package That Lost Some Weight During Delivery
We don't really live in a world where twelve-ounce packages weigh ten ounces because that just wouldn't make any sense. It's possible that the supermarket scale was just having a bad day, or maybe they usually sell items with lower weights for higher prices. Regardless, this specific customer has a picture for proof, so they can at least make an attempt to get their money back whenever they have the chance.
There's no denying that a 12oz package should weigh exactly that amount, especially when the packaging is included in the weight- so this item should go right back to the store.
They Left Some Extra Room in Case the Candy Had a Sudden Growth Spurt
The best part about sour strips is how long they are, but apparently, they require a lot more extra packaging room than they ever did before. The only practical reason that we could think of for the extra space is that these sour strips are claustrophobic and need extra wiggle room. Other than that, this could definitely be considered a waste of packaging since it doesn't really need to be so big.
In what was once a golden era, sour strips were really long enough to cover the entire package length, which is how it should be, so this view is unfortunate.
When You Double-Space Your Homework to Meet the Minimum Page Requirement
What's better than breaking into a brand-new pack of Toblerone? Nothing. Unless you're living in the United Kingdom. That's because the new versions of the same products are way smaller than the original, so much so that it almost looks miniature. Thankfully, they are still just as delicious as the original ones, so we don't have too good of a reason to complain. Hopefully, the price will one day be as small as the size.
Sometimes, those tiny little spikes end up hitting the roof of your mouth, and it's not the greatest experience ever, so maybe the shrinking here is only for the best.
The Devil Is in the Details
The two tea packages in this picture are from the same company, but a big difference is hidden in one of them, and it all has to do with a single symbol. Since the one on top offers 50% more tea, whereas the one on the bottom simply says 50 more tea bags, the first one is probably the best option. Even though they look super similar, you'd actually be getting much more for your money.
It's easy to skip past the hidden contrasts in the text on these two boxes, where a sneaky percentage sign actually makes all the difference when it comes to quantity.
A Five Pack for the Price of Six
Just when it seems like every food item in the store is getting smaller these days, clearly, this also applies to quantity. Someone was looking forward to grabbing their six-pack of bagels at a nearby store, but that excitement quickly faded once they noticed that there were now only five bagels inside. We can practically feel this customer's disappointment just by looking at this very picture.
Imagine the letdown when you head to the supermarket to pick up your favorite six-pack of bagels, only to find that there are now five bagels inside for the same price.
A Whole Lot Less of the "good Stuff"
While food companies are starting to micro-manage their packaging, it seems like the amount of the general good stuff is also being cut out. That's quite literally what's happened to this yogurt since the toppings are so minimal they barely exist. There's nothing better than yogurt with a bit of chocolate for a mid-day snack, but you might want to choose a different brand next time since there isn't much in here.
If you've ever eaten this yogurt, you probably know that the winning factor of this product is the chocolate that comes with it. It looks like that isn't the case anymore.
Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (chocolate Chips Not Included)
Breyer's might have forgotten to add the right amount of chocolate chips in this batch of ice cream, or they just generally intended to add much less. Nothing is better than the chunks inside of any ice cream, and most chocolate chip lovers go straight for the chips. Unfortunately, the amount inside of this one was so small that we could count how many we saw on a single hand.
The greatest part about digging into a pint of ice cream is searching for the chunks, but they were nowhere to be found in this container of chocolate chip ice cream.
This Person Couldn't Understand Why They're New Utensil Holder Always Tipped Over but the Old One Didn't
Someone went to buy the same exact utensil holder that they've been using in the house, but when it kept falling over, they put two and two together. Less stability means a lot less weight, so they put the two onto a scale and measured their weight. The older one was much heavier than the newer one, which doesn't make sense since they're supposedly made from the same materials.
The person who took this picture went to Ikea to buy a brand-new utensil holder, but things got confusing - and suspicious - once they noticed it annoyingly kept falling over.
We Have Bad News for Oreo Fans Who Only Like the Stuffing
If you're counting calories, you might often turn to the thinner Oreo cookies, but needless to say, you might also be missing out. That's mainly because someone's noticed that although the cookie truly is thinner, the cream comes nowhere near the edge. Whether you're looking for a thinner cookie or a thicker one, regardless, the cream should always be worth your while, especially when it comes to munching on an Oreo.
After coming across this image, we firmly believe that everyone should advocate for the double-stuffed Oreos instead of thinner ones for a variety of very important yet primarily tasty reasons.
How Dare They Call This Double Stuf?!
Oreos aren't as generous as they used to be with their double-stuffed cookies, to a point where people are actually noticing that there's been a change. It's true- double-stuffed Oreos once seemed like that center cream was piled high, but sadly, they look similar to a normally stuffed cookie. Hopefully, this image will make it all the way to Oreo headquarters so that Double Stuf Oreos can get back on track.
The one thing everyone looks forward to when buying double-stuffed Oreos is, of course, the extra cream in the center of each delicious cookie. It turns out that it doesn't exist anymore.
Big Macs Aren't so Big Anymore
The definition of the Big Mac used to be in the name, but since they're now smaller, it's time for a name change. The Big Mac once encouraged customers to get a bigger burger while also spending less, but today, they're much smaller and much more expensive than they used to be. If you're ever in the mood for a Big Mac, we recommend at least finding a coupon code first.
The whole point of a Big Mac is that they're, well, big. It turns out that the definition of size when it comes to food nowadays is pretty subjective at this point.
Discontinued Versus New: Same Price, but 3.2 Ounces Smaller
We can start by pointing out that the discontinued scent booster was still readily available on the shelves here, yet it also happened to be much bigger than the newer ones. They're practically exactly the same in everything other than size, which is certainly unfortunate for anyone who loved putting these inside their freshly washed load of laundry. For those customers, it might be time to start searching for a different brand.
Laundry scent boosters undoubtedly make your clothes smell ten times better than you ever thought they could.
A Brand New Bottle of Baby Powder
The use of the extra plastic here is a bit unnecessary since the bottle is just about half-full. This is kind of the opposite of eco-friendly since a ton of other things could have been made out of the wasted parts of the container. They could have made an entirely separate bottle of baby powder just from that. Forget eco-friendly; that would also be budget friendly and makes more sense.
Well, there isn't really anything brand-new about this unopened bottle of baby powder other than the cost. Most people expect an unopened bottle to be a little more than halfway full.
The Useless Feature That No Gum Chewer Asked for
Some would have no issues with this packaging and probably wouldn't even notice that there could have been an extra piece of gum added to the pack. Others, like the person that took this picture, were hoping for bigger and better things. Those two little lines in that vast and empty space don't seem to have much purpose, so why not add another piece of tasty gum in its place?
There very well could have been an extra piece of gum inside of this package, but they decided to leave it blank and empty just to cut down on costs.
Their Dating Profile Vs. Them in Real Life
One thing nobody wants to be short on is toothpaste- for obvious reasons. We use it all the time, and most people prefer buying a bigger tube so that it can last longer. A lot more toothpaste could have been offered if the tube was bigger, which would've also stopped it from rattling around inside the box. Instead, the tube is just about half the size of the box itself.
Any rational consumer would expect that the toothpaste tube inside of this package would be just about the same length as what it was sold in, but apparently, we're all wrong.
Someone's Cat Is About to Lose Some Weight
Sometimes, quality and price don't always match up as well as they should. This might not be the best quality cat food, but it certainly is expensive. Once, this exact brand cost just $55 for 24 cans weighing 5.8 Oz each. Now the entire case is about %62 dollars for cans that are 5.1 oz which means some cat owners are going to have to spend quite a bit more money for smaller cans.
This might not actually be the world's most expensive cat food, but we wouldn't be surprised to find out that this specific brand is definitely up there in terms of price.
"Put the Last Cookies Face Down - They'll Never Notice"
Everything about opening up a brand-new package of Oreo cookies is satisfying, from tearing the plastic to the perfectly organized deliciousness. At least, that used to be the case because there's something off about this specific box of Oreos. Instead of filling the rows up to their maximum capacity, the last cookies are all lying down to take up the space that could have been filled with about three more of them.
It really does feel like the Oreo company was trying to play a little trick on their customers by putting each of the final cookies in the row face down.
A Salad Dressing Called Out on the Internet
Someone was unhappy that the new version of their salad dressing had more calories and was smaller than the earlier version, so they decided to make a Twitter post about it. Believe it or not, that same company actually responded to the complaint and even gave a thought-out reason as to why they've made changes. Apparently, their consumers "don't often finish the entire bottle," but nobody knows if that's really the case.
At least the company that packages these dressings are providing the internet with some kind of explanation as to why they've made the "even tastier' version smaller than the regular one.
The Best Part Is That the Smaller Pasta Box Was More Expensive
Barilla is a popular pasta brand, and normally, it seems like they actually put a really good amount of pasta in their packaging. The difference between the two boxes here is that the first one costs a little less than a dollar and has 454 grams of pasta in it. The second one has less pasta yet is more expensive and costs $1.97. Although we probably wouldn't notice the difference in the pasta quantity, the price change is a big one.
A nice full box of pasta means there's more to eat off your dinner plate, and thirty-four grams less is actually a significant missing amount, especially for the higher price.
A Font Change to Distract You From the Fact That There's One Less Taquito
This Canadian grocery store is selling two versions of the same chicken and cheese taquito, and there aren't too many differences between the two- other than quantity. You might have to blink twice just to figure out what's going on here, but one of the boxes has one more taquito than the other. Thankfully, the fuller box is still available for people to buy- if they even notice the difference.
The font isn't the only thing that's changed about this product- there also happens to be one less taquito, and they even made sure to edit one out of the picture.
Large Dinosaur Nuggets Are Going Extinct
Dinosaur nuggets are shrinking so fast that they'll be hard to see under a microscope one day. Thankfully, they are still currently big enough to be eaten, whereas the smaller ones still taste great. It's possible that this specific nugget was unique and that the rest of the ones in the supermarket are still average-sized. We at least hope that's the case for the sake of all dinosaur nugget lovers worldwide.
Dinosaur nuggets are going extinct, just like their predecessors, and seem to be even smaller than they once were, meaning It might be time to go back to chicken nuggets.
These Chocolate Bars Are Nine Grams Light
A dark chocolate pretzel bar truly sounds fantastic, but what isn't so great is that the weight on the packaging isn't actually correct. It claims to weigh 50 grams, but in reality, there are only 41 grams of chocolatey goodness inside, which doesn't make it worth it. This customer is lucky that they had a scale nearby, or else it would have been hard to see that something wasn't right here.
Nobody ever wants their chocolate bar to be smaller than it claims to be because who wouldn't want to get the amount of chocolate that claims to be written on the package?
Say It With Us: Toilet Paper Core Size Matters
The truth is the size of a paper towel's core doesn't always have to determine the size and quantity of the paper towel's role. These people were just a bit surprised when they realized that the chain brand they had just bought was seemingly more prominent than the regular one. It could be that they weigh exactly the same, or maybe the off-brand is actually bigger than the brand name without considering the core.
These customers even provided their regular role core for scale, just to show everyone how much bigger the cores in the newer packaging of paper towel rolls seem to be.
Toast That's Been Hit by a Shrink Ray
Whether you consider bread with crushed garlic on it toast or garlic bread, this specific package left one customer very confused. They were running low on the special toast that was picked up three weeks earlier and went to get a new pack for Thanksgiving. The two pieces from separate boxes were about to enter the oven together until the buyer realized they weren't even a bit similar in size.
The bigger the toast, the better, and although this one will still do a great job of satisfying those tastebuds, we'd all like to know why the new one is half the size.
Get Your Hands off Our Toilet Paper!
Even though the 2021 version of toilet paper looks exactly the same as the 2019 version, there's actually something that's secretly not quite right. Of course, not many customers will be putting their toilet paper on a scale to determine its weight, but this person did precisely that just because they had the chance. It turns out that the newer version was much lighter than, the older one, which could mean less product.
We'll never know why this person has been keeping a toilet roll since 2019, but it certainly came in handy when they decided to compare and contrast with the newer ones.
Candy Bars That Aren't Afraid to Lie
This box of Twix was supposed to be as long as a yard, but it seems like they just told a flat-out lie. Instead of filling the box up with the proper amount of chocolates, they decided to put fewer products and cover that up with a slight change of placement. They might have thought that nobody would notice the sneaky move, but it really is kind of hard to ignore.
A box of Twix chocolate bars that equal the length of a yard sounds promising, and things were going really well until the buyer of these snacks opened up the box.
They Claim They Shrunk the Bottle so That Customers Could Hold It Better
The newer bottle of Softsoap is smaller than the regular ones, so somebody reached out to the company through social media to figure out why. They responded by first thanking the customer for reaching out and said they switched to smaller bottles to bring their sizes in line with the general market. It's hard to figure out what that statement means, but if you figure it out, let us know.
Many people come across things that might seem wrong regarding product packaging in everyday life, but not everyone has the guts to call the same company out on the internet.
Apparently Everything's Shrinking, Except for Garlic Cloves
The measurements on these two separate lids of the same brand of garlic seem to be saying two different things and the person cooking couldn't understand why. At first, it seemed like there might be less garlic that came with the lid on the bottom, but actually, it's highly possible that the measurement changed because the cloves got bigger. At least, that's the more optimistic approach since every product in the world feels like it's getting smaller.
It might seem like everything from packaging to products is getting smaller these days, but we have good news- garlic just might be getting bigger, well, at least this specific brand is.
Legos That Have Been Evolving in Reverse
The newer version of this Lego spaceship is much smaller than the one released eleven years earlier, and although it might be easier to build- it's not as cool to look at. It's possible that the price has also shrunk with the size; at least, it should definitely be that way. Regardless of the size, this is still a very cool collector's item that would look awesome in any Star Wars lover's home.
If you're into building and collecting Legos, you might be better off buying the older version of this set than the new one unless you're absolutely okay with the shrink factor.
A New Roasting Technology That May or May Not Actually Exist
It was nice of Folger's to clear up any confusion when someone tweeted about them, but it kind of feels like the explanation isn't a logical one. They've responded by claiming that the reason the newer roast is smaller yet can somehow brew 400 cups more than the older one is because they've created a top-secret roasting technology where the lighter-weighing beans have as much flavor as the heavier ones.
Folgers claims to have a brand-new roasting technology that makes their beans weigh less, and the longer you try to comprehend it, the less that it starts to make sense.
RIP to Domino's 10-Wing Deal
Domino's Pizza once offered ten chicken wings for $7.99, but according to this news outlet, that's not a deal that still exists. That number is shrinking all the way down to eight, where there will certainly be a noticeable difference on your dinner plate if you head over there for a meal. The worst part about this change is that the price of the ten wings will remain the same.
Thankfully, most people that go to Domino's Pizza tend to order the pizza itself, but if you're a big fan of wings, you might be disappointed to hear about the change.
Finally, Groceries That Fit in a Single Bag
Although miniature hotdogs and a microscopic amount of peanut butter aren't enough for a snack, at least the size is convenient. These are definitely just fun little toys, and of course, most food companies that sell their products in grocery stores tend to make the super-size. Although, we definitely wouldn't be opposed to snacks having miniature options because that just sounds a lot more fun than picking up a regular one off the shelves.
Even though these items aren't actually edible, there's no harm in a bit of daydreaming. Nothing truly would be better than an entire grocery trip that fits in a single bag.
The Glory Days of Cheap Rice Are Gone
Rice is known to be an affordable item in the grocery store, and most of us are used to the prices being pretty regular. Someone noticed that food prices on the shelves have quickly shifted in the United Kingdom, where the cheapest pasta isn't so cheap anymore. According to some shoppers, there have been major price changes in foods like pasta, rice, baked beans, canned spaghetti, and even bread. Meaning there's no such thing as cheap anymore.
It's true- just a short time ago, the lowest price in Britain sold for 45p, and disappointingly enough, that same bag currently costs £1, which means it's 344% more expensive.