It91裸聊视频檚 the inflation you91裸聊视频檙e not supposed to see.

From toilet paper to yogurt and coffee to corn chips, manufacturers are quietly shrinking package sizes without lowering prices. It91裸聊视频檚 dubbed 91裸聊视频渟hrinkflation,91裸聊视频� and it91裸聊视频檚 accelerating worldwide.

In the U.S., a small box of Kleenex now has 60 tissues; a few months ago, it had 65. Chobani Flips yogurts have shrunk from 5.3 ounces to 4.5 ounces. In the U.K., Nestle slimmed down its Nescafe Azera Americano coffee tins from 100 grams to 90 grams. In India, a bar of Vim dish soap has shrunk from 155 grams to 135 grams.

Shrinkflation isn91裸聊视频檛 new, experts say. But it proliferates in times of high inflation as companies grapple with rising costs for ingredients, packaging, labor and transportation. Global consumer price inflation was up an estimated 7% in May, a pace that will likely continue through September, according to S&P Global.

91裸聊视频淚t comes in waves. We happen to be in a tidal wave at the moment because of inflation,91裸聊视频� said Edgar Dworsky, a consumer advocate and former assistant attorney general in Massachusetts who has documented shrinkflation on his Consumer World website for decades.

Dworsky began noticing smaller boxes in the cereal aisle last fall, and shrinkflation has ballooned from there. He can cite dozens of examples, from Cottonelle Ultra Clean Care toilet paper, which has shrunk from 340 sheets per roll to 312, to Folgers coffee, which downsized its 51-ounce container to 43.5 ounces but still says it will make up to 400 cups. (Folgers says it91裸聊视频檚 using a new technology that results in lighter-weight beans.)

Dworsky said shrinkflation appeals to manufacturers because they know customers will notice price increases but won91裸聊视频檛 keep track of net weights or small details, like the number of sheets on a roll of toilet paper. Companies can also employ tricks to draw attention away from downsizing, like marking smaller packages with bright new labels that draw shoppers91裸聊视频� eyes.

That91裸聊视频檚 what Fritos did. Bags of Fritos Scoops marked 91裸聊视频淧arty Size91裸聊视频� used to be 18 ounces; some are still on sale at a grocery chain in Texas. But almost every other big chain is now advertising 91裸聊视频淧arty Size91裸聊视频� Fritos Scoops that are 15.5 ounces 91裸聊视频� and more expensive.

PepsiCo didn91裸聊视频檛 respond when asked about Fritos. But it did acknowledge the shrinking of Gatorade bottles. The company recently began phasing out 32-ounce bottles in favor of 28-ounce ones, which are tapered in the middle to make it easier to hold them. The changeover has been in the works for years and isn91裸聊视频檛 related to the current economic climate, PepsiCo said. But it didn91裸聊视频檛 respond when asked why the 28-ounce version is more expensive.

Likewise, Kimberly-Clark 91裸聊视频� which makes both Cottonelle and Kleenex 91裸聊视频� didn91裸聊视频檛 respond to requests for comment on the reduced package sizes. Proctor & Gamble Co. didn91裸聊视频檛 respond when asked about Pantene Pro-V Curl Perfection conditioner, which downsized from 12 fluid ounces to 10.4 fluid ounces but still costs $3.99.

Earth91裸聊视频檚 Best Organic Sunny Day Snack Bars went from eight bars per box to seven, but the price listed at multiple stores remains $3.69. Hain Celestial Group, the brand91裸聊视频檚 owner, didn91裸聊视频檛 respond to an email seeking comment.

Some companies are straightforward about the changes. In Japan, snack maker Calbee Inc. announced 10% weight reductions 91裸聊视频� and 10% price increases 91裸聊视频� for many of its products in May, including veggie chips and crispy edamame. The company blamed a sharp rise in the cost of raw materials.

Domino91裸聊视频檚 Pizza announced in January it was shrinking the size of its 10-piece chicken wings to eight pieces for the same $7.99 carryout price. Domino91裸聊视频檚 cited the rising cost of chicken.

In India, 91裸聊视频渄own-switching91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� another term for shrinkflation 91裸聊视频� is mostly done in rural areas, where people are poorer and more price sensitive, said Byas Anand, head of corporate communications for Dabur India, a consumer care and food business. In cities, companies simply jack up prices.

91裸聊视频淢y company has been doing it openly for ages,91裸聊视频� Anand said.

Some customers who have noticed the downsizing are sharing examples on social media. Others say shrinkflation is causing them to change their shopping habits.

Alex Aspacher does a lot of the grocery shopping and meal planning for his family of four in Haskins, Ohio. He noticed when the one-pound package of sliced Swiss cheese he used to buy shrank to 12 ounces but kept its $9.99 price tag. Now, he hunts for deals or buys a block of cheese and slices it himself.

Aspacher said he knew prices would rise when he started reading about higher wages for grocery workers. But the speed of the change 91裸聊视频� and the shrinking packages 91裸聊视频� have surprised him.

91裸聊视频淚 was prepared for it to a degree, but there hasn91裸聊视频檛 been a limit to it so far,91裸聊视频� Aspacher said. 91裸聊视频淚 hope we find that ceiling pretty soon.91裸聊视频�

Sometimes the trend can reverse. As inflation eases, competition might force manufacturers to lower their prices or reintroduce larger packages. But Dworsky says once a product has gotten smaller, it often stays that way.

91裸聊视频淯psizing is kind of rare,91裸聊视频� he said.

Hitendra Chaturvedi, a professor of supply chain management at Arizona State University91裸聊视频檚 W.P. Carey School of Business, said he has no doubt many companies are struggling with labor shortages and higher raw material costs.

But in some cases, companies91裸聊视频� profits 91裸聊视频� or sales minus the cost of doing business 91裸聊视频� are also increasing exponentially, and Chaturvedi finds that troubling.

He points to Mondelez International, which took some heat this spring for shrinking the size of its Cadbury Dairy Milk bar in the U.K. without lowering the price. The company91裸聊视频檚 operating income climbed 21% in 2021, but fell 15% in the first quarter as cost pressures grew. By comparison, PepsiCo91裸聊视频檚 operating profit climbed 11% in 2021 and 128% in the first quarter.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 not saying they91裸聊视频檙e profiteering, but it smells like it,91裸聊视频� Chaturvedi said. 91裸聊视频淎re we using supply constraints as a weapon to make more money?91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频擠ee-ann Durbin, The Associated Press