Rising inflation has been putting severe pressure on consumers worldwide. Meanwhile, the phenomenon known as “shrinkflation” has been gaining attention. Shrinkflation refers to a situation where the price of a product remains the same or even increases, while the weight, size, or quantity of the product decreases.
It can be difficult for the average consumer to notice when the amount of a product is reduced in this way. But no matter how small the change is, it will eventually become apparent to more observant consumers. Companies have resorted to this tactic due to rising costs for labor and raw materials, but it has led to a decline in consumer trust.
“Skimpflation” is a similar phenomenon, where prices rise, but quality of goods or services declines.
최근 물가인상이 전 세계 소비자들을 심하게 압박하고 있다. 이런 와중에 '슈링크플레이션'이라는 현상이 주목받고 있다. 슈링크플레이션은 상품 가격은 그대로이거나 오히려 오르면서도 상품의 무게, 크기 또는 수량을 줄이는 것을 말한다.
일반 소비자는 이러한 방식으로 제품의 양이 줄어드는 것을 알아차리기 어려울 수 있다. 하지만 아무리 작은 변화라고 해도 민감한 소비자라면 결국 눈치채게 된다. 인건비와 원자재 비용 상승으로 기업들은 이러한 전략을 사용했지만, 그로 인해 소비자들의 신뢰가 떨어지게 되었다.
이와 유사한 ‘스킴플레이션’이 있는데, 물가는 상승하지만 상품 혹은 서비스의 질이 떨어지는 현상을 말한다.
- The pandemic put severe pressure on many stores. / My parents put severe pressure on me when I was a student.
- The average consumer won’t notice the difference. / Even the average consumer knows which product is better.
- The incident led to a decline in consumer trust. / The company was unable to recover after a decline in consumer trust.
A: I feel like there’s less in this bag of chips compared to before.
B: It might actually be less.
A: Really? What do you mean?
B: It’s called shrinkflation, where the quantity of a product is intentionally reduced.
A: Oh, so they reduce the amount of the product but keep it at the same price.
B: Yes, exactly. It’s a frustrating change for consumers.
