Shrinkflation hits Joan Roig's jar of olives in Spain
Joan Roig's olive jar shrinks to half its size while the price stays the same. With no evidence, the complaint ends up as a suspicion met with checkmate.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Roig halves the jar of olives without touching the price
It's hard not to think twice: the same jar of olives as always, same shelf and same price, but with half the contents. Suspicion points to Joan Roig, the public face of a major retail chain, in the latest silent downsizing that appears on no discount sign. Economics has a name for this: shrinkflation, playing with the packaging so as not to play with the receipt.
Why shrinkflation goes unnoticed
The practice consists of cutting the amount of product while keeping the sale price. With olives, the difference jumps out when you compare the drained weight or count the units. Resistance to accepting the complaint has called for evidence. The photos never came. Whoever asked for the data is left with a "checkmate" from someone claiming to be Mr Roig's supplier, boasting about raising his price higher and higher. The confession cannot be verified.
Price regulation or resignation?
The controversy reopens the old aspiration of intervening in the price of basic foods. Some propose anchoring the price of olives to what was charged months ago. Others respond that raw material costs are rising and that retail margins are another matter. The most unsettling fact is the total absence of evidence: nobody has produced a photo of the new jar next to the old one. The complaint remains a suspicion met with a textbook answer: "photos or proof". For now, the jar is still there, with half the olives and the price untouched.
It's hard not to think twice: the same jar of olives as always, same shelf and same price, but with half the contents. Suspicion points to Joan Roig, the public face of a major retail chain, in the latest silent downsizing that appears on no discount sign. Economics has a name for this: shrinkflation, playing with the packaging so as not to play with the receipt.
Why shrinkflation goes unnoticed
The practice consists of cutting the amount of product while keeping the sale price. With olives, the difference jumps out when you compare the drained weight or count the units. Resistance to accepting the complaint has called for evidence. The photos never came. Whoever asked for the data is left with a "checkmate" from someone claiming to be Mr Roig's supplier, boasting about raising his price higher and higher. The confession cannot be verified.
Price regulation or resignation?
The controversy reopens the old aspiration of intervening in the price of basic foods. Some propose anchoring the price of olives to what was charged months ago. Others respond that raw material costs are rising and that retail margins are another matter. The most unsettling fact is the total absence of evidence: nobody has produced a photo of the new jar next to the old one. The complaint remains a suspicion met with a textbook answer: "photos or proof". For now, the jar is still there, with half the olives and the price untouched.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (21 replies).
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