Shrinkflation: Rema 1000 Lures Good Customers with Less Meat and Higher Prices

Rema 1000 customer Eystein Erik Groven had a surprise when he went shopping for barbecue ribs.

– It will be deceiving one’s good customers. It annoys me. They live off us, and then they don’t take five cents for doing that, he adds The online newspaper.

The package of barbecue ribs had become smaller. Before, the package was 800 grams, now it is 600 grams. Despite the fact that there is less meat, the package is the same size. At least three quarters of the package consists of air, according to Nettavisen.

Rema answers

But not only had the number of grams of meat decreased. In addition, Rema 1000 has chosen to raise the price of barbecue ribs. Last year, 800 grams cost NOK 99.00, now 600 grams of barbecue ribs cost NOK 109.90. The price per kilo has increased by 48 per cent.

Category and purchasing director Line Aarnes at Rema 1000 says it is sad to hear that Groven is dissatisfied. Aarnes justifies the price increase for barbecue ribs as follows:

– Last year, barbecue ribs were on sale for much of the summer and therefore had a very low price. Now the product is priced at a more normal level and we have other products on sale, she tells Nettavisen.

Shrinkflation: – Consumers should not be confused

Subject director Olav Kasland at the Consumer Council is not impressed by Rema’s response.

– We keep seeing this. To say that the product was much cheaper before, we have heard many times. They can use that on everything, but this doesn’t work for us, he says to ABC Nyheter.

Kasland says that shrink inflation has existed for many years, but that we have not been particularly aware of it.

– The media has become more aware in the past year and a half. It probably has to do with inflation. We have no faith that shrink inflation will stop, this will continue. It makes demands on consumers. It is important to pay attention to the kilo and liter price. The shops must become better at noticing that here you get more for your money. Shrinkflation is not illegal, but consumers must be informed and not confused, says Kasland.

Solid price growth

The prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 2.5 per cent from March to April this year.

From April 2022 to April 2023, the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages have risen by 10.5 per cent.

In 2022, Krympflasjon was named word of the year by the Language Council. The word is used when the content or size of an item decreases while the price is stagnant or increases.