Shrinkflation Calculator

A bag of chips used to hold 10 oz for $4.29. Now it holds 9 oz, still for $4.29. Before: $4.29 ÷ 10 ≈ $0.429 per ounce. After: $4.29 ÷ 9 ≈ $0.477 per ounce.

The shelf price didn’t change, but the price per ounce went up about 11%. Cutting the size by 10% at the same price always raises the price per unit by about 11%, not 10%.

Shrinkflation is when a product gets smaller while its price stays the same, or drops less than the size. The price per unit goes up, but the shelf price doesn’t show it.

Enter the old package as Before and the new one as After, each with its price and size. You can use a different unit for each, for example an old label in ounces and a new one in grams. The result tells you how much the price per unit went up or down, in percent.

You don’t need old receipts: a photo of the old pack, a shopping app’s history, or a package still in your pantry all work.

If both the size and the price change, the change in price per unit is what you actually pay extra. A pack that is 5% smaller and 5% more expensive costs about 10.5% more per unit.

Watch for “new look” packaging, deeper bottle bases, more air in a bag or fewer items in a pack. The net weight or count on the label is the number that matters — read how to read unit price labels for more.

Shrinkflation isn’t only about weight. Rolls with fewer sheets, boxes with fewer tea bags and detergent with fewer loads are the same thing. Choose ct as the unit for both packs and enter the counts.