Three quarters of Canadian residents have noticed the phenomenon of ‘shrinkflation’ in the last few months, and many are taking action as a result.
With rising food prices and many Canadians struggling to cope with daily living costs, the practice of ‘shrinkflation’ – when a food product’s size is reduced while keeping the price the same – has been widely discussed, and Canadians are noticing. Our recent survey results show that three quarters of the population have noticed examples of shrinkflation in the last few months when shopping for groceries.
Actions Taken When Noticing Shrinkflation Among Those Who Have Noticed
Reactions to this practice are varied, but it is clear that many people are not simply putting up with it. Half say that they have told friends or family about it, and nearly half have switched brands of the product as a reaction. Four in ten got angry, and two in ten switched to another grocery store. A handful have taken to writing the manufacturer (4%) or writing to the grocery store to complain (3%). That said, a third of the population who have noticed examples of shrinkflation buy the product anyway.
Whose Responsibility is it to Inform the Public About Shrinkflation?
Canadians largely feel that it is the food producers’ responsibility to inform the population about shrinkflation – seven in ten say the manufacturer of a product should indicate these types of product size changes on the package (68%). That said, just under half place responsibility with the retailer (the grocery store) or the government (through legislation). Only two in ten feel that it is the consumer’s responsibility to notice any changes.
Results are from an online survey conducted in partnership between Narrative Research and the Logit Group. The survey was conducted between February 7 and 12, 2024 with 1,231 Canadians, 18 years of age or older from the Logit Group’s online Canadian Omnibus. Data were weighted based on the 2016 Census, by gender, age, and region to reflect actual population distribution, and data tables are available upon request.
The questions asked were:
- Shrinkflation is defined as a form of inflation, most common in food and beverage, that consists of reducing a product’s size while keeping its price the same. In the last few months, have you noticed any examples of ‘shrinkflation’ when shopping for groceries?
- What, if anything, have you done, when noticing ‘shrinkflation’?
- Whose responsibility is it to inform the public about shrinkflation, that is, reducing a product’s size while maintaining its retail price?
For more information, please contact:
Margaret Chapman, COO & Partner, Narrative Research – 902.493.3834, mchapman@narrativeresearch.ca or Sam Pisani, Managing Partner, Logit Group – 416.629.4116, sam.pisani@logitgroup.com.
Narrative Research is a non-partisan, 100% Canadian-owned research company, certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE). Narrative Research provides clients with state-of-the-art research and strategic consulting services.
The Logit Group is a leading North American data collection and market research execution company headquartered in Toronto, conducting large-scale projects for a variety of well-known research agencies and brands. Logit employs industry-best technologies.
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