Customer trust · Common term
Shrinkflation
What is shrinkflation?
Reducing a product’s size or quantity without a corresponding price reduction, so the customer pays more per unit. Reducing quality is a related but different practice. Whether the change is communicated clearly is a separate accountability question.
Shrinkflation: an illustrative example
A package falls from 500 grams to 450 grams at the same shelf price. A shopper who compares the price per gram can see the increase, even if the packaging looks familiar.
Sources and related reading
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: measuring shrinkflation — source reference
This is a practical common term. Examples illustrate the concept; they are not verified client results. Working definitions and accountability lenses are not claims of a universal standard or original coinage.
Related customer trust terms
- Bait and switch
Attracting people with an appealing offer that the seller does not genuinely intend to provide, then steering them toward a different offer. A clearly disclosed introductory price is not, by itself, bait and switch; the issue is a misleading offer or substitution.
- Behavioral debt
The accumulated relationship cost of tactics that manipulate people rather than help them make informed choices. A short-term gain in compliance can create resentment, complaints, and weaker loyalty over time.
- Cancellation friction
Extra effort that obstructs leaving or stopping payment.
- Claim substantiation
Evidence supporting an objective claim before it is communicated.