3 ms·

I doubt this is new, probably happening during the low inflation times too.

nsxwolf 4y ago
We've heard about shrinking products for decades. They must occasionally return to their original sizes, or they'd be really tiny right now. I've also been hearing that Cocoa Puffs are "Now! More Chocolatey!" at regular intervals my entire life. They must have not tasted like anything at all when I first ate them in the 70s.
- dunham 4y ago
  Perhaps it's "more chocolatey" because they replaced the "chocolate" (which I believe has some regulations around actually containing cocoa butter) with "chocolatey" (which, by not claiming to be chocolate, can just be flavoring).
  - babyshake 4y ago
    Now featuring 100% chocolate! By which we mean synthetic flavors provided by "100% Chocolate Incorporated"
    - dunham 4y ago
      But there are regulations restricting the use of the word chocolate, so they say "chocolatey": https://consumerist.com/2016/02/10/why-do-new-starbucks-drinks-have-chocolatey-chips-not-chocolate/ https://consumerist.com/2016/02/10/why-do-new-starbucks-drin... (This is in the US, but I wouldn't be surprised if the EU has stronger rules.)
      - nsxwolf 4y ago
        From the article: > “chocoriffic” (no one actually uses that one, but maybe they should.) The author is blissfully unaware of a vile concoction made by Dean's called "Choco-Riffic!", which I used to think contained neither milk nor chocolate, but apparently does after reading the label - there's at least some milk, and cocoa.
- ksaj 4y ago
  The added 'y' seems to have an alternate meaning: 'ish'. It should probably be read as "Now! More Chocolate-ish!" I'm always skeptical when an ingredient name is modified to become a comparison instead. Chocolatey in no way means it has any chocolate at all in it. In the same way wines have "a hint of chocolate on the palate." It's a hint alright, but it's not chocolate. Only, wine descriptions aren't actively trying to trick you. That's why a lot of popcorn is "Buttery" - it doesn't necessarily have butter in it at all. And it probably doesn't. In the same way "creamy peanut butter" doesn't have cream in it. The difference: the peanut butter description isn't actively trying to trick you.
- wvenable 4y ago
  They create new advertised larger sizes as well to create this perpetual marketing scheme.
  - bombcar 4y ago
    Exactly. Once it’s small enough a family size appears and the cycle begins anew.
ninth_ant 4y ago
This is absolutely not a new phenomenon in the slightest, companies across all industries are always messing with their products trying to reduce costs when possible. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It may be more pronounced in times where consumers are more price-conscious, as companies try to raise/maintain profits without avoid raising prices -- hoping that budget minded consumers will accept this tradeoff more than in extravagant times.
mdp2021 4y ago
> [not] new "Economics 101" is based on the idea of discerning purchasing agents in the interaction between supply and demand. What is happening today is that the purchasing agents have a very hard time finding good quality products. Which creates a perverse market.

We've heard about shrinking products for decades. They must occasionally return to their original sizes, or they'd be really tiny right now. I've also been hearing that Cocoa Puffs are "Now! More Chocolatey!" at regular intervals my entire life. They must have not tasted like anything at all when I first ate them in the 70s.

dunham 4y ago
Perhaps it's "more chocolatey" because they replaced the "chocolate" (which I believe has some regulations around actually containing cocoa butter) with "chocolatey" (which, by not claiming to be chocolate, can just be flavoring).
- babyshake 4y ago
  Now featuring 100% chocolate! By which we mean synthetic flavors provided by "100% Chocolate Incorporated"
  - dunham 4y ago
    But there are regulations restricting the use of the word chocolate, so they say "chocolatey": https://consumerist.com/2016/02/10/why-do-new-starbucks-drinks-have-chocolatey-chips-not-chocolate/ https://consumerist.com/2016/02/10/why-do-new-starbucks-drin... (This is in the US, but I wouldn't be surprised if the EU has stronger rules.)
    - nsxwolf 4y ago
      From the article: > “chocoriffic” (no one actually uses that one, but maybe they should.) The author is blissfully unaware of a vile concoction made by Dean's called "Choco-Riffic!", which I used to think contained neither milk nor chocolate, but apparently does after reading the label - there's at least some milk, and cocoa.
ksaj 4y ago
The added 'y' seems to have an alternate meaning: 'ish'. It should probably be read as "Now! More Chocolate-ish!" I'm always skeptical when an ingredient name is modified to become a comparison instead. Chocolatey in no way means it has any chocolate at all in it. In the same way wines have "a hint of chocolate on the palate." It's a hint alright, but it's not chocolate. Only, wine descriptions aren't actively trying to trick you. That's why a lot of popcorn is "Buttery" - it doesn't necessarily have butter in it at all. And it probably doesn't. In the same way "creamy peanut butter" doesn't have cream in it. The difference: the peanut butter description isn't actively trying to trick you.
wvenable 4y ago
They create new advertised larger sizes as well to create this perpetual marketing scheme.
- bombcar 4y ago
  Exactly. Once it’s small enough a family size appears and the cycle begins anew.

ninth_ant 4y ago

This is absolutely not a new phenomenon in the slightest, companies across all industries are always messing with their products trying to reduce costs when possible. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It may be more pronounced in times where consumers are more price-conscious, as companies try to raise/maintain profits without avoid raising prices -- hoping that budget minded consumers will accept this tradeoff more than in extravagant times.

mdp2021 4y ago

> [not] new "Economics 101" is based on the idea of discerning purchasing agents in the interaction between supply and demand. What is happening today is that the purchasing agents have a very hard time finding good quality products. Which creates a perverse market.