BOSTON (MarketWatch) — Economists are worried not only about inflation, but also deflation, and now it appears U.S. consumers need to worry too.
While prices for many goods are rising, in cases where prices are steady, the packaging frequently is smaller. It’s an unmistakable trend for grocery shoppers these days: every other package seemingly has a “great new look” for the “same great price.”
The problem is that the new look is a few ounces smaller than the old packaging. Or there has been some other creative way to have shoppers pay the same money as always without recognizing that they are bringing less home.
Barring a change in the way packaging is regulated, consumers need to change habits — or at least be more attentive — in order to make their dollars go farther and minimize the effects of this cost-inflation/product-deflation cycle.
By Chuck Jaffe, MarketWatch
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