January 7, 2025 • 37 mins
You’d be hard pressed to find a Seinfeld fan who doesn’t know what “shrinkage” is. But in real-life shrinkage is a phenomenon that’s happening all around us and it means, companies are secretly selling us less product for the exact same price or even, at an increased price! In fact, one in three supermarket products have stealthily, shrunk over the past 4 years. And that means, we’re all getting much less product but actually paying more! Really, no really!
Edgar Dworsky who is known as “Mr. Consumer” has been a consumer advocate for over 45 years, and he joins Jason and Peter to expose selling scams, and to explain and reveal how many companies rely on and use “shrinkflation" and "skimpflation".
***
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Shrinkflation is legal, so consumer beware.
- Where have all the local consumer reporters gone?
- When salad dressings replace oil …for water!
- The hidden shrinkflation inside dollar stores.
- How “Party Size” and “New and Improved” trick customers.
- Toilet paper rolls have 90% less sheets than they had in the 1960’s.
- Shrinkflation isn’t isolated to your supermarket.
- What triggers someone to become a consumer advocate?
- We’re celebrating 75 years of shrinkflation!
- Jason and Peter share their personal habits relating to expiration dates.
- The strange lengths Jason takes to postpone eating his bananas!
- Googleheim: The breath mint with “Retsyn”, and the dangerous truth about Retsyn!
***
FOLLOW EDGAR DWORSKY:
Website: consumerworld.org & Mouseprint.org
***
FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY:
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Now really.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Really now, really well.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
And welcome to really know really, Jason, Alexander and Peter
Tilden remind you that your heart will never shrink if
you subscribe to our show. And speaking of shrinking, every
Seinfeld fan knows what shrinkage is, but in real life,
shrinkage is a phenomenon that's happening all around us and
it affects everyone all the time. It's when companies secretly
(00:30):
sell us less product for the exact same price, or
even at an increased price. Over the past forty years,
one in every three supermarket products have stealthily increased in price,
and that means we're all getting much less of actually
paying more.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Really, no really.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Edgar Dwarfski is known as mister Consumer and has been
a consumer advocate for over forty five years. He joins
Jason and Peter to highlight the selling scams and to
explain how many companies have pre did a national, if
not global shrink flation. And now here are two guys
you always give you less for more, Jason and Peters.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
So this episode you've been waiting for this, You've been
waiting for this because you I think your favorite episode
of Seinfeld was where we kept yelling shrimp shrinkage.
Speaker 5 (01:19):
There's shrinkage.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
There's lots of shrinkage, and this episode is a lot
of shrink in real life shrinkage.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
One in three supermarket products have been shrink flated over
the last four years, which means less product in the
thing in the can.
Speaker 5 (01:33):
At the same price.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
And then you wonder, also, did the price has ever
come back? What happens with you?
Speaker 5 (01:39):
I can answer that for you. Yeah, the price has
never never come back.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Now also you're you're at such a point now with
pushback from the public that in France there's a supermarket
chain that is now actually labeling stuff that has been
shrink flated, so the public knows because they feel obligated
to let people know.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
I think that'd be great on the bunk and now
with thirty percent less product, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
But more guts, more guts, less product made with more love.
But because it's kind of sneaky when they raise prices,
we get it, but when they put less product in
and they do it in a way where either they
indent the bottom of the thing, whether there's air in
there or you don't know. So we wanted to get
on somebody who not only knows about it, but he's
considered the world's foremost expert on shrink plates.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
Yes we do.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
A consumer advocate for over forty five years, Edgar Dwarski,
also known as Mister Consumer, founded Consumer World in nineteen
ninety five. It's public service company highlighting the latest consumer
news and scam alerts and ways to save money. He
was a former Massachusetts attorney assistants Attorney General and consumer
Protection was a consultant for the Federal Trade Commission.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
This is a big and before we say hi, he's
standing there. The thing is when you got a consumer
reporter who's not in and about making money, and I
know that this was a lot of this was funded
by you.
Speaker 6 (02:51):
You don't live.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Big, but this is really from your heart and you
don't see many people like that, and I wanted to
talk about that com on.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
So let's welcome Edgar warskif to our show.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Thanks, thanks for having me. Guys really appreciate the invitation.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
So before we get into products and some that are
inflated worse than others and skinflated, which means the ingredients
or wordered down or whatever, why did you get into
what called to you to do? Something that's not thankful.
You don't make money doing this.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
I'm guessing he was taking. He was abused. He was
an abusion. Something happened. He thought he bought a thing.
It was less of a thing, and it was a crusade.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
Was born right here? Am I anywhere near right?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
I actually majored in marketing as a college student, and
some of my jobs were in market research. But I learned,
you know, creating questionneers, listening to consumers. I cared more
about the consumers that I cared about the manufacturers. You
know that hired me to do the questionnaires. And if
(03:55):
you do something you love, you don't have to get
paid for it, or believe me, I get paid buck gis.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
And by the way, it's less buckused than even you
look like like, let me.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
Take a moment for the non Yiddish speakers.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
Means nothing, zero, not a.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Silch ziph nine shine means.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
So you do it from your heart and you not
only I got the newsletter and I've gone to consumer World.
You should see how many articles he puts out. And
I think you still every Monday put out the top
shrinkflation items. A couple of top shrinkflation items to look
for correct.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Well, every Monday there's a newsletter with in twenty five
or thirty consumer news stories. I didn't write most of them,
and maybe quarterly i'll do a list of items that
have shrunk, or as you'd say, have we're skimping on
a product where you're getting you know, less oil in
(04:52):
the salad dressing than used to get in the substitute water.
That's what skimplouse.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Yeah, well he should. I mean I've seen him. I've
seen a whole to each other, and you watch, you want,
you can see the levels right there before we get
to certain products. I just had read an article in
preparation for this saying that the worst offenders of this
are dollar stores or the inexpensive stores.
Speaker 6 (05:13):
Is that seam accurate to you?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Well, what I found is dollar stores have products made
especially for them. Someone sent me a picture of some
Campbell's chunky soup and the regular size is eighteen point
four ounces or something like that, and then there was
a sixteen point one and they said, look at this shrinkflation. No,
the sixteen ounce one especially made for the dollar stores
(05:39):
so they can charge less for it. Most consumers don't
realize they're really getting less for their money at the
dollar store buying the smaller size.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
And am I correct that in better financial times when
these companies are doing a little bit better, they never
turn around and go, oh, we're doing good, now we
can lower the pro I mean, is there ever a
true price reduction?
Speaker 5 (06:01):
Once a price is gone.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Up, sometimes prices come down. You'll see specials, you may
see a loss leader. But people often ask, well do
you ever see the big product again? Well, sometimes they
shrink the product so much they have to bring back
a larger size, but it's never at the original price,
and they give it a fancy name, like potato chips.
(06:24):
You always used to have a one pound bag of
potato chips. Then they became fourteen ounces in thirteen and
twelve and eleven and ten. Then they bring back a
new one. Oh look, party size and it's sixteen ounces again.
Probably get double the original price.
Speaker 6 (06:39):
Whoa boy?
Speaker 1 (06:42):
So if party size and also new and improved is
nonsense a lot?
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Well, it's funny you mentioned before, are we ever going
to see something on a label that talks about getting
small size? We always see new and improved. My fantasy
has always been, are we going to see a starbars?
This says, look twenty percent less instead of twenty percent more.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
R Wow, but new improved it brings us back at
a bigger price. With new and improved. Do they have
to prove that it's new and improved in any way
or no.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
It's typically viewed as puffing to say that the product
is new and improved. Hopefully it really is true. They've
done something. I mean, for years, Sharman, the number one
toilet paper brand, used to say, oh, it's now softer
and it's fluffed. And I had asked them at one point, well,
you know, the original Sharman had six hundred and fifty
(07:34):
sheets on a roll. They're now down. If you could
find single rolls of Sharman to fifty five sheets on
a roll ninety percent less. Let me actually show you
a product. This is like a toy. You can see
the dollar bill is here to show this is maybe
an inch and a half more than a dollar bill.
(07:56):
If you could find a product like this today, it
would have fifty five sheets on a roll compared to
the original six hundred and fifty. But what did they do?
They came out with Mega size and then super megasize,
and now there's a Mega XXL size. That's four hundred
and forty sheets on Sharman, so it's still two hundred
(08:19):
less than the original.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
My god, So when it dropped from six hundred defined
to fifty, didn't the consumer go hell no oh.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
If you did it all in one fell swoop. But
we're talking about think of back to the days of
mister Whipple in the nineteen sixties. Ladies, Please don't squeeze
the Sharman right over the years, so it went down
to six hundred and five point fifty and five hundred
and four hundred and just slowly, maybe every six months,
maybe every year or two, so you don't catch it.
(08:51):
And that's what's so sneaky about shrink flation. Look at
the product and it looks about the same size as all.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Let me do the pushback and advocate. Just give the
company's point of view, he Edgar. Patroleum products costs more,
the processing costs more, labor benefits, labor costs more, real
estate costs more, electricity costs more. We couldn't do this
and keep a profit. Is that legitimate or is it
legitimate to say fifty percent of that? But they still
(09:18):
keep their margins, and the margins have gone up over
the years.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Well, it's legitimate that they have, you know, increased costs. Absolutely,
do they pass it on to consumers in a straightforward way.
Many shoppers say they would rather pay more than have
the sneaky backdoor price increase where they do it in
kind of a steaky, surreptitious way.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Well, how about store brands when you so when you
see that happens, and you go, I'm not choosing to
buy into this too much. I'll go with the store brand.
Is a store brand generally cheaper and more product.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Well, the store brand is generally cheaper, and it tends
to be the last one to change and downsize. Years ago,
when and Skippy went from eighteen ounces to sixteen point three,
you mentioned in your intro, how did they do it?
The old jar looked the same as the new jar. Well,
they put an indent in the bottom of the jar,
(10:13):
so it looked to be the same size. So the
kind of masters at packaging tricks. Cereal, for example, Kellogg
Cereal Special k RedBerry came out. It said it's announced
and a half or so less than it was before.
The new box is taller than the old one.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
Is this is this more or less limited to supermarket items,
or is this happening you know, in big electronics and
and appliances and cars. Is it is in it across
the board shrink flesh or is it just the sort
of small daily products we find on.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
The shelves Well we.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Is it across the board shrimp flesh or is it
just the sort of small daily products we find on
the shelves.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Well, we tend to see most in health and beauty
aids in supermarkets. But someone just posted today a story
about home depot having some certain type of wire and
they had the wire from four years ago in the
wire today and they showed it was a narrower gauge.
So it really can be across the board. See, and
(11:32):
a lot of times we don't know with skimpflation, where
the manufacturer reformulates the product, we don't know what percentage
of cleaning ingredients are intied. For example, it's not on
the label. So how would you know if they took
out some of the expensive cleaners in there and substituted
something else. You have no way of knowing.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Well, I also read somewhere that they shaved like bars
of soap. They'll shave the corners they're round off the
corners to shave size, and you won't so it's not
obvious when you're holding the bar that it's smaller.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
Is that accurate.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Well, they've changed the shape of bars. They've put a
curve in it. The bath sized bar used to be
five ounces. You're lucky if it's three point nine ounces
these days, tuna cans. It was seven ounces to start with,
then it was six and a half, and then six
(12:26):
and five and a half. In the current you know,
tuna is five ounces. Let me show you kind of
the history of ice cream. This is Briar's ice Cream,
one of the big brands, but other brands like Eighties,
did the same thing. Used to buy a half gallon
of ice cream sixty four ounces, then they took out
a cup, made it fifty six ounces. Then they took
(12:48):
out another cup and made it forty eight ounces. And
we're paying as much, if not more, today for ice
cream than we used to.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
Did They still call it a half gallon.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Now they don't call it a half gas. But I
mean here, when you have them lined up, you can
see a little bit of a difference. Yeah, But in
the store, unless you have that last package of the
old size right next to the new package of the
news size. You can't tell the difference, so the change
over time is very subtle. You buy a four roll
(13:19):
pack of toilet paper, it looks like I always did
same thing with paper towels, but you're getting much less.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
And is this commpletely legal that these companies do not
have to report what they're doing to the consumer.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
It is absolutely kosher as long as they list the
net weight or the net count on the package. It's
up to us, as good consumers and sharp shoppers to
pay attention. Shame on us if we don't pay attention.
And that's really one of my tips. You have to
get to know what the size of the products is
(13:55):
you normally buy. If you're just someone who goes to
the store, grabs the product, rose it in your cart.
You don't pay attention to the fine print, you're going
to get snuggered.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
When you see new streamline bottle, easier to grip or
whatever that can also be a giveaway.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Correct, correct, Well, I thought this gatorade is thirty two ounces,
this one is twenty eight, So you lost half a
cup between the two. Would you necessarily notice? No? What
did they do? They tapered the middle of this bottle,
and when I asked them, why did you do it,
they said, well, we wanted to make the bottle easier
(14:34):
to grip. Well, give me a break. Did they really
get a ton of consumer complaints? But said, gee, slipper
have a hard time holding this big bottle, please make
it smaller.
Speaker 6 (14:47):
Wow?
Speaker 5 (14:47):
Does the average consumer? This is interesting?
Speaker 4 (14:51):
I think I'm probably your worst nightmare because I am
a sort of a you know, I need towels, grab
it off the shelf. I don't really look as much.
But does the average consumer notice this?
Speaker 5 (15:01):
A and B care enough to stop the trend?
Speaker 2 (15:09):
I think more and more consumers are noticing. For decades,
I call this downsizing. But maybe seven or eight years ago,
the term strength inflation came about and the media really
glommed onto that. And because of it, there's been so
many stories about products shrinking. Consumers awareness of it really
(15:30):
is increasing. And when you read comments, you know, on
my website Mouthsprint dot org, when I showcase you know,
half a dozen or dozen items, people really are getting angry.
Many people say I'm going to switch away from the
name brand. I'm going to switch to another brand that
hasn't done it, or, as you mentioned before, the store brand,
which tends to be the last one to change. So
(15:53):
there is anger out there, but has that anger translated
into companies changing how they do business. Money talks louder
than consumer.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
So there hasn't been enough pushback to brands. Brands are
not suffering from this yet or are they? To people
At a certain point say I am switching brands, and
then these companies actually see it and it hurts them.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Well, the trouble is then the competitor switches to the
smaller size also, so now there's equilibrium, and where am
I going? Everyone's doing it? Where is there for the
consumer to go? There isn't They used to be time
you buy Oreos a sixteen ounce package and then they
went down to fifteen point something and now I believe
(16:36):
it's like thirteen point something for Oreos. If you don't
pay attention, you really don't realize you're getting less for
your money. One other nasty trick they're doing that we
mentioned before, like Potato Chips putting the name party size
on it. Breakfast Cereal you have large size, family size,
(16:58):
giant size on the top of cereal, and if they
conditioned people to buy by size name. You're not paying
attention to the net weight. So you know, wife says
the hobby go to the store and get some you know,
family sized cheerios. Well, he sees the word family, grabs it,
puts it in the cart, and you don't realize you
(17:21):
may be getting a ball or two less in every box.
That's how they get you. That's kind of the latest
trick in their in their playbook.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
So, Edgar, before we move on, I got to ask
you started out when I guess a lot of networks
had consumer reporters. I remember Philly they had a consumer
guy and they were always balled and went out and
busted somebody who ripped somebody off or whatever, and it
was entertained. It was entertainment and was also the legal
part of it whatever. And then that started to diminish.
(17:50):
And now you're like one of the last men standing.
And Jason and I were talking about this ahead of time.
You know, thankfully you do exist, and you got the
news letter and you got mouseprint and all of that.
But I don't see new I don't see any kids
coming up today saying I want to be a consumer advocate,
which is kind of like a whistleblower. You going against
these big companies, and as they consolidate, they get a
(18:11):
lot more powerful and they consue you. They can make
life miserable for consumer advocate. What's happening in that field?
Is there a national consumer Advocate get together that we
will have end of the year. Do you mentor anybody?
Do you see where that's going as far as protections?
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Well, well, actually the Consumer Consumer Federation of America has
an annual conference, but we are all aging. I used
to be a member of the Massachusetts Consumers Coalition, which
were all the local consumer groups in the state, and
there were some young guys in their twenties and I
was so happy to see them there and I said,
(18:46):
you know, you guys are the future of the movement.
You know, all of us are getting older, we're going
to be retiring, you're going to be taking over. What
do they do? They went and took other jobs. So
it's really tough, and particularly with the change in administrations.
I don't think you're going to see an active Federal
(19:07):
Trade Commission. I don't think you're going to see an
active Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or FCC. So we've lived
kind of a charmed life the past few years, with
you know, click to cancel no more, you know, fake reviews,
all these different initiatives by the consumer agencies. I think
(19:28):
they're going to be muffled, and that really is unfortunate
because we're all consumers. We do deserve protection from those
who would take advantage.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Of And if you go shopping, you're buying thirty items
and third or half of them are shrink flated, look
at what your buying power has worse.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
I'm also wondering, you know, I'm not pushing back on
your concern at all, Edgar, but I also wonder why
if I, I mean, if I'm making a product, and
sure I want to, I want to increase profit to the.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
Greatest extent I can.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
But even if you know, federally I'm not regulated to
do certain things that I know are best for my
customer base.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
Am I really just so.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
Unconcerned about my customer that I'll take every advantage of.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
Them I can. Do you find that there is just
no sense of.
Speaker 4 (20:22):
Ethics, you know, to the towards the consumer and the
customer base that easily flaunted.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
I mean, it's hard to call it unethical, is it
sneaky for sure. The trouble is everyone does it. It's
a copycat industry. One toilet paper brand downsizes, another one
follows suit. If one peanut butter gets smaller, another one
does it. One brand of cereal if Kellogg's does it,
(20:50):
General Mills follows. Any number of times when I've asked companies,
why did you do it, I'll say, well, a competitor
did it, So we're just kind of following the trend
in the market.
Speaker 5 (21:04):
That's what my mother would say.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
If the competitor jumped off the roof, would you jump
off the road?
Speaker 6 (21:08):
Here's the deal.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
That's what my mother would be to defend them from
a standpoint of are they ripping us off? So I'm
the company and I go my costs go up, I
have to launch new products that don't always work. That
I got a build in failure and all that, and
I got to deliver profits. Because I don't deliver profits,
I'm screwed. So if we're not going to sell a
product because we have to raise the price and our
competition hasn't, they're going to buy the competition.
Speaker 5 (21:29):
So choice more.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
If I if I say to a consumer, you can
pay the same price and get less, or I'll give
you what you're used to getting, but I need to
charge you thirty cents more. And here's why. Why wouldn't
the consumers say okay?
Speaker 1 (21:43):
But just because some doing, some can't afford it. So
there you go.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
I mean that's sure, but right now the choice isn't
on the table.
Speaker 5 (21:50):
It is what seems to be the result.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
It's going to be interesting. Do you think this will continue?
The trimplation goes on for average just it's worse now
in some respects. Do you think it's going to keep going?
Speaker 2 (22:00):
It's going to keep going. And if you have two seconds,
I will tell you the folklore of how it started.
Back in the nineteen fifties was the time of nickel
vending machines for candy. All all of a sudden, the
chocolate manufacturers told the vendors, oh, you know, we're gonna
have to raise our prices. Well, they said, what are
(22:20):
we going to do? The vendors said, because our machines
take a nickel, we can't make the machines take six cents.
So someone came up with a brilliant idea, Oh, we'll
make the chocolate bars a little smaller. So you're talking
about since at least the nineteen fifties, So what's that
seventy five years? Happy anniversary.
Speaker 6 (22:41):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (22:41):
So one last question, are even the gluten free and
the organic people doing this? Is a you know, is
a vegan? Is a vegan product? Less of what I
don't want?
Speaker 2 (22:53):
It is across the board. Actually, a consumer reporter here
in Boston said, you better go to Whole Foods because
you know they're shredded mazzarella. It used to be eight ounces,
and I think it's now only six or seven.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
So oh yeah, oh yeah, consumer world dot org is
the place to go. And what's the mouseprint one? Mouseprint
and mouseprint dot org, which I love. And as soon
as you see that, you go, how many things have
I signed in my lifetime that I haven't read?
Speaker 5 (23:19):
Oh my god?
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Every time I click on an Apple product, I go,
well that's a kidney.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
Check out his website and it's fascinating to thank mouseprint
dot org two. And thanks for coming on here, Thanks
for doing what you're doing.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
Well, great, thanks for having me guy.
Speaker 5 (23:32):
A pleasure, sure, a pleasure.
Speaker 6 (23:43):
So it's just hard.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
It's just we may have gotten the we may have
gone a little shorter. With it, we might be did
we shrink? Did our episode shrink?
Speaker 5 (23:52):
Did we do enough? Are we getting forty percent less
the same price?
Speaker 6 (23:57):
Edgar Dorsky forty percent less?
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Well, it's kind of a simplistic idea, but I think
most people either they well they're stinicare because they're pushing
back everywhere. And as he went off, he just said
in Europe, yeah, wors the product.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
I just think it's an insant. Like you know, for me,
I would never know. Am I counting the chips and
the pringles? Can I don't know?
Speaker 5 (24:20):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Yeah, but when I opened them, when I opened that
family pack of chips at home, and I'm looking down,
like at the Chilean miners, they're way down there.
Speaker 6 (24:29):
Where do the chips start? Way down?
Speaker 1 (24:31):
You start to go, wait a minute, this is this
is less. And again I don't think a lot of
people begrudge the companies because I guess they figure doing
business is harder, it costs more, they got to pay time,
whatever that is. On the other hand, I think the
pushback is big because it is it does appear sneaky
and because the prices.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
Never go back, that's right. The thing is, you know, honestly. Yeah,
trust me to be a big boy.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
Tell me.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
You know, hey, guys, our costs are going up. We're
going to give this to you. Two ways can buy
exactly the same product, but it'll be a little more
for those of you that can't afford more. We're going
to give you a little all right, but I'll push
back and then well and then you know, you go, Okay,
we're in a relationship.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
But I can push back right now. Sure all of
our items are marked, We have the weight on the item,
and yeah, I guess what.
Speaker 6 (25:15):
Look at the way you paid. Look the weight and paid.
You can see it. It's not like we're hiding that. No,
but of course we made the.
Speaker 5 (25:22):
Nobody's reading the weight.
Speaker 6 (25:23):
Level the cereal box I saw.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
I saw an example of that where there's like less
and the box looked like a mountain the Chrysler building.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
Well, I should also point out that a little. And
I don't want to potential. I mean, but some of
the cereals, you know, where it's sugar with an oat.
Speaker 6 (25:41):
If you're not getting that extra two cups of might
not hurt.
Speaker 5 (25:45):
I didn't want to name names, Captain.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
But.
Speaker 6 (25:52):
We know they're sugary.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Yeah, I mean, you know.
Speaker 6 (25:55):
But that's up to me.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
That's my responsibility what I want to eat, And it's
right there on the box right now to Tony.
Speaker 5 (26:01):
Whoever Tony's gun isn't Tony gunn No, I don't.
Speaker 6 (26:04):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (26:05):
He's still there, don't know. Yes, he's still there on
the frosted plates.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
The reason I asked if it's just supermarket stuff is
because you know, I buy and eat a lot of garbage,
unless if it wouldn't be so bad.
Speaker 5 (26:18):
But if they did that.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
To me on a car and they go with one
less part. You know what I was thinking of the
whole time. I thank god I have a fountain in
my head of Jerry Seinfeld material and he used to
do this bit about the Sert's commercial now with two
drops of reds and then we go two drops of redsin.
Speaker 5 (26:35):
Nobody is what the hell retsin is? There's too drops?
Speaker 1 (26:40):
We now have more of something you've never heard of,
and you weren't sure if what was there before, which
is insane, right, I thought that was so brough By
the way, The point is, I don't know what age
it now has wretched? Yeah, yeah, right, you know what,
He's smart because we had a word guy on. Obviously
the way they present it must be, must be. Why
(27:03):
would they put it in here? And by the way, they
didn't skimp us in each in each mint?
Speaker 6 (27:09):
Wow? Yeah wow.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
The new Toyota Prius now with Retchen does it work
on everything?
Speaker 6 (27:14):
Does it work on everything?
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Docs, Tiders, Khaki bands Due three featuring reds and with
a pocket for your retsin? Can you we have to
have David look up, well, Lauren, look up, look up
rets and and see if it even exists?
Speaker 6 (27:29):
See what?
Speaker 1 (27:30):
See what comes up when you're putting the words redsin?
Speaker 5 (27:34):
What?
Speaker 6 (27:34):
What? What is it?
Speaker 5 (27:36):
Does it show a picture?
Speaker 6 (27:37):
Do you squeeze an animals? Get it? What is it?
What is it?
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Right?
Speaker 5 (27:40):
You definitely squeeze an animals? Again that question?
Speaker 6 (27:42):
Yeah, we never think of here's an episode.
Speaker 4 (27:44):
Really when he when he came out with that bit,
I thought, that's the most brilliant observation because I used
to watch those commercials and.
Speaker 5 (27:50):
Go I follow.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Yeah, yeah, but Retch, let's see if there's a retson answer.
Speaker 7 (27:57):
I have an answer. Retsin is a trademarked ingredients.
Speaker 5 (28:02):
In shirts, SERTs.
Speaker 6 (28:03):
It's a trademarking green in shirts. It does what that.
Speaker 7 (28:06):
Gives them their signature green flex and helps combat.
Speaker 6 (28:10):
Bad Okay, it gives it.
Speaker 7 (28:11):
It is a mixture of partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, copper,
glucinate and flavoring does.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Okay, surely nothing and it suggests the word retsin.
Speaker 5 (28:21):
They took those things.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
But but it so it gives it to green sprinkles. Yeah,
it helps with your breath and whatever. So it is
the item that is the breath fighter.
Speaker 6 (28:30):
I guess sure.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
But on the industry how but where do they get
the fun name Retsen?
Speaker 1 (28:35):
And by the way, I come from an advertising background
where you have to sit and compete. Let's go around
the now shirts table. Guys, what do you think Bigger, lasts, longer,
guarantees good breath.
Speaker 6 (28:47):
How what do you got now with now? With retsin?
Speaker 1 (28:52):
Know in the industries claiming the Retsin thing, Well, nobody
knows what it is. Hal guys were going with it.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Yeah, we all and we all flocked it. It sold well, yeah,
sold still upsirts. I'm still thinking and it has rats.
Speaker 6 (29:06):
Why wouldn't I buy it?
Speaker 5 (29:06):
Of course? David Google, they're now shorter, David Google on, well,
I've cut off my feet.
Speaker 8 (29:14):
But actually, Jason if you do, in fact have some
SERTs lying around.
Speaker 5 (29:22):
They're valuable two things.
Speaker 8 (29:24):
One you could sell them on eBay because they were
discontinued in twenty eighteen. Yeah, but you have to mark
on the sale not for human consumption, because they've actually
banned the ingredients that were dumb come on rets it?
Speaker 6 (29:42):
Yes?
Speaker 9 (29:43):
Really no, really, so the new one, we should watch
it no longer new and improved, and we can say
new and improved, new and improved with.
Speaker 6 (29:55):
Wow. I didn't know that.
Speaker 5 (29:57):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (29:58):
Yes, holy crap. The thing they promoted as the cell.
Speaker 5 (30:02):
Got them, got them taking off the market.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
I say, allegedly use the word that we haven't don't
want to be served for that.
Speaker 5 (30:09):
Yeah, it was. It has not been allowed to be
sold in food in.
Speaker 8 (30:14):
The United States since since twenty eighteen. So there ago
now no more reds and no more asserts. I guess
that there's a stink on it ironically.
Speaker 6 (30:25):
Really no, really, that's huge.
Speaker 4 (30:28):
I have to learn to really respect the expiration dates
of things too.
Speaker 5 (30:31):
I don't really I.
Speaker 6 (30:32):
Don't trust something.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
I don't trust all the tapio coupogans a month, month, month,
two months. Yeah, certain stuff you don't risk it, but
other stuff you go, come on you you know, it's.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
Like I'll buy a sliced Deli meat and I didn't
get to it for a week and my wife goes throw.
Speaker 6 (30:47):
It out, and I go, this, you do what your grandfather?
What did your grandfather? What did your grandfather do?
Speaker 5 (30:52):
What did he do?
Speaker 6 (30:53):
Yeah? You smell it, You smell you smell it, and
if it.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Smells even kind of close to what it should be,
you go, right, all right, have you ever Okay.
Speaker 5 (31:02):
If it's mild body odor, it's still.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
My grandfather actually saw my grandfather would take like a muffin,
it would have mold on.
Speaker 5 (31:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
Should I go wow, Yeah, I've done that to a bagel.
That piece was moldy. The rest of it's fine.
Speaker 6 (31:16):
You don't know what's hard.
Speaker 5 (31:17):
Then I nuke it, and I go, what's going to
survive the nuke?
Speaker 6 (31:19):
You don't know what other colonies are breeding in there.
Speaker 5 (31:22):
It's it's just that it's pencil.
Speaker 6 (31:25):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Really, And you're worried about skimflation and you're eating bagels.
Bagels they've grown mushrooms on them. It doesn't matter two
for one now with mushrooms. So fruit fruit until.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
It's like unless if fruit falls apart in my hand.
If it doesn't do that, I mean this dietegrates when
you figure it out.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Oh man, wow, how is a banana left in your
house a banana?
Speaker 4 (31:48):
Well, first of all, yes, it has stages because versus
the banana in the bowl.
Speaker 6 (31:55):
Yes. Yes.
Speaker 5 (31:56):
Then when it's when you go, it's going to get
some spots. Then you put it in the fridge.
Speaker 6 (32:00):
See that's what I freeze it. I put in a freezer.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Put it in the fridge for the spots. When the
spots meld into one brown banana freezer. Now you open it,
you take the skin out, you wrap it in seran. Actually,
you slice the mushy banana. You slice them the mushy
banana in half. You put peanut butter in it, and
then put the other half back on, wrap it in soran,
and freeze it.
Speaker 6 (32:24):
You're taking a mushy oh dead banana.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
Once it's frozen. Once it's frozen, it's not mushy anymore.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
You take but you take a banana you wouldn't eat,
and put peanut butter on it to bring it new life,
bring it.
Speaker 6 (32:36):
Back, give it my banana life. How many people here
have ever heard of that?
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Nobody anything else that goes to you.
Speaker 5 (32:51):
What you've been to my house?
Speaker 2 (32:55):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (32:56):
I don't want to.
Speaker 4 (32:56):
I don't want to even I've got coffee in my
You don't take it black, do you?
Speaker 6 (33:07):
I don't want to go there. I don't want to
know what you.
Speaker 4 (33:10):
Whatever the curtain says, whatever it says. If you pour
the milk in and it doesn't come up in little clumps,
it was probably okay.
Speaker 5 (33:17):
Don't you think you drank it?
Speaker 1 (33:20):
I'm not flashing back so many scripts I have written,
and how much monk I've oead of your house? Surprised
that I'm still alive? Yeah, yeah, you still pall? Yeah, yeah, whatever,
I totally intolerant. Was that white stuff in my coffee?
Rotten banana? Rotten banana?
Speaker 5 (33:34):
By the way, also a good use googlehind Thank you
for that.
Speaker 6 (33:38):
In from you too long about the rest wow retch
and took him out?
Speaker 5 (33:42):
Yeah, Edgar strike anything else.
Speaker 8 (33:43):
Well, it's just sort of struck me, Jason, that that
the bagel gets to eat and even though it's green,
but the banana, the banana gets re shifted several times
without the consideration of maybe I just eat it.
Speaker 4 (33:59):
No, No, do you ever really just want to pick
up a banana.
Speaker 5 (34:03):
Yeah, I've never had that.
Speaker 6 (34:06):
I buy them with good intentions.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
I buy them for cereal, and then I don't eat
cereal that morning. And then the bananas I.
Speaker 6 (34:11):
Have blueberries have been looking at me for two weeks. Right,
you want to get hard? When is this happening here?
When is this happening?
Speaker 5 (34:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (34:17):
And then I ate them in some yogberries and they
taste it horrible. Yeah, and they're probably bad, but I went, yeah,
but in yogurt.
Speaker 4 (34:25):
Okay, welcome to my house. Now you're in my house.
By the way, it's only me in my house. My
wife throws everything out.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
This is why, this is why there'sous.
Speaker 5 (34:35):
It's trench warfare.
Speaker 6 (34:37):
The sort you put it in.
Speaker 5 (34:38):
I've made it to forty four years. My day was
stamped when.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
I fixture with you, because I know if you come
home shopping, you open a fiery put something, and you
walk out of there, she takes it out immediately.
Speaker 5 (34:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
But she also she's also the one that leaves a
thimble of milk in the milk.
Speaker 5 (34:53):
Oh, still good, excuse me, still good?
Speaker 1 (34:55):
Excuse me. Yeah, So you talk about cheap.
Speaker 4 (34:58):
It's not cheap. It's Dana it's not about sheep for Dana.
Speaker 5 (35:03):
She I bought it. It's good, I'll use it and
I go.
Speaker 4 (35:07):
But you that that you don't have You don't have
a thimble of milk in there.
Speaker 5 (35:12):
Well, well I have what I have.
Speaker 1 (35:14):
But when I'm squeezing mustard and it's parting and only
the liquid is coming out, I think it's time.
Speaker 6 (35:18):
Don't you think it's time? David? It's time.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
Another episode of really No Really is out. You got
an option. You can say goodbye, or you can shmear
us with peanut butter wrappers and saran wrap and put
us in the freeze.
Speaker 5 (35:28):
By the way, people will be doing that, I bet they.
Speaker 6 (35:30):
I bet they won't. I bet they will.
Speaker 5 (35:32):
Not write us and tell us.
Speaker 4 (35:33):
I bet they will if you do the three stages
of a banana's life.
Speaker 10 (35:39):
That's another episode of really No Really. He comes to
a close, and I know you're.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
Wondering what items are the most profitable for the supermarket. Well,
I'll mark that answer up for you in a minute.
But versus, let's thank our guest, Edgar Dwarski.
Speaker 10 (35:50):
You can follow it.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
You're at either of these websites consumerworld dot org or
mouseprint Dottal and now they answers the question what items
are the most profitable for the supermarket. Bulk items big
stores like Costco where you buy twenty four rolls of
toilets pay for at a time. Sure, the price may
look like a bargain, but take out your calculator and
divide the price by the number of roles. Then check
(36:12):
what a four pack with the same item costs, and
you may be surprised that buying in bulk is not
a savings.
Speaker 10 (36:18):
Brand name over the counter medicines are.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
Way more expensive than their generic counterparts comparing gredients, and
if they seem similar, saved with the gennire.
Speaker 10 (36:26):
Convenience items may cost you big markets. No, you don't
want to go to several stores if you can get
everything at once.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
To the market of convenience items like light bulbs and
greeting cards that would be less at a hardware or
stationary store. Breakfast cereals are often the biggest shelf in
the market. Why huge markups for the market huge and finally,
pre cut fruit and veggie so convenience, all sliced or
diced or chopped and ready to go in their little
container butt They are often ten times the price.
Speaker 10 (36:53):
If you had just bought the ingredients and slice it yourself.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
You're paying for the labor, so best bet buy generic
by Just Foods and buy them the way nature gives
them to you, and you'll save substantially at your local market.
Speaker 10 (37:05):
Enjoy Really na Really is production of iHeartRadio and Blase
Entertainment
Now really.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Really now, really well.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
And welcome to really know really, Jason, Alexander and Peter
Tilden remind you that your heart will never shrink if
you subscribe to our show. And speaking of shrinking, every
Seinfeld fan knows what shrinkage is, but in real life,
shrinkage is a phenomenon that's happening all around us and
it affects everyone all the time. It's when companies secretly
(00:30):
sell us less product for the exact same price, or
even at an increased price. Over the past forty years,
one in every three supermarket products have stealthily increased in price,
and that means we're all getting much less of actually
paying more.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Really, no really.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Edgar Dwarfski is known as mister Consumer and has been
a consumer advocate for over forty five years. He joins
Jason and Peter to highlight the selling scams and to
explain how many companies have pre did a national, if
not global shrink flation. And now here are two guys
you always give you less for more, Jason and Peters.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
So this episode you've been waiting for this, You've been
waiting for this because you I think your favorite episode
of Seinfeld was where we kept yelling shrimp shrinkage.
Speaker 5 (01:19):
There's shrinkage.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
There's lots of shrinkage, and this episode is a lot
of shrink in real life shrinkage.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
One in three supermarket products have been shrink flated over
the last four years, which means less product in the
thing in the can.
Speaker 5 (01:33):
At the same price.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
And then you wonder, also, did the price has ever
come back? What happens with you?
Speaker 5 (01:39):
I can answer that for you. Yeah, the price has
never never come back.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Now also you're you're at such a point now with
pushback from the public that in France there's a supermarket
chain that is now actually labeling stuff that has been
shrink flated, so the public knows because they feel obligated
to let people know.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
I think that'd be great on the bunk and now
with thirty percent less product, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
But more guts, more guts, less product made with more love.
But because it's kind of sneaky when they raise prices,
we get it, but when they put less product in
and they do it in a way where either they
indent the bottom of the thing, whether there's air in
there or you don't know. So we wanted to get
on somebody who not only knows about it, but he's
considered the world's foremost expert on shrink plates.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
Yes we do.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
A consumer advocate for over forty five years, Edgar Dwarski,
also known as Mister Consumer, founded Consumer World in nineteen
ninety five. It's public service company highlighting the latest consumer
news and scam alerts and ways to save money. He
was a former Massachusetts attorney assistants Attorney General and consumer
Protection was a consultant for the Federal Trade Commission.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
This is a big and before we say hi, he's
standing there. The thing is when you got a consumer
reporter who's not in and about making money, and I
know that this was a lot of this was funded
by you.
Speaker 6 (02:51):
You don't live.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Big, but this is really from your heart and you
don't see many people like that, and I wanted to
talk about that com on.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
So let's welcome Edgar warskif to our show.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Thanks, thanks for having me. Guys really appreciate the invitation.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
So before we get into products and some that are
inflated worse than others and skinflated, which means the ingredients
or wordered down or whatever, why did you get into
what called to you to do? Something that's not thankful.
You don't make money doing this.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
I'm guessing he was taking. He was abused. He was
an abusion. Something happened. He thought he bought a thing.
It was less of a thing, and it was a crusade.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
Was born right here? Am I anywhere near right?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
I actually majored in marketing as a college student, and
some of my jobs were in market research. But I learned,
you know, creating questionneers, listening to consumers. I cared more
about the consumers that I cared about the manufacturers. You
know that hired me to do the questionnaires. And if
(03:55):
you do something you love, you don't have to get
paid for it, or believe me, I get paid buck gis.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
And by the way, it's less buckused than even you
look like like, let me.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
Take a moment for the non Yiddish speakers.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
Means nothing, zero, not a.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Silch ziph nine shine means.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
So you do it from your heart and you not
only I got the newsletter and I've gone to consumer World.
You should see how many articles he puts out. And
I think you still every Monday put out the top
shrinkflation items. A couple of top shrinkflation items to look
for correct.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Well, every Monday there's a newsletter with in twenty five
or thirty consumer news stories. I didn't write most of them,
and maybe quarterly i'll do a list of items that
have shrunk, or as you'd say, have we're skimping on
a product where you're getting you know, less oil in
(04:52):
the salad dressing than used to get in the substitute water.
That's what skimplouse.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Yeah, well he should. I mean I've seen him. I've
seen a whole to each other, and you watch, you want,
you can see the levels right there before we get
to certain products. I just had read an article in
preparation for this saying that the worst offenders of this
are dollar stores or the inexpensive stores.
Speaker 6 (05:13):
Is that seam accurate to you?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Well, what I found is dollar stores have products made
especially for them. Someone sent me a picture of some
Campbell's chunky soup and the regular size is eighteen point
four ounces or something like that, and then there was
a sixteen point one and they said, look at this shrinkflation. No,
the sixteen ounce one especially made for the dollar stores
(05:39):
so they can charge less for it. Most consumers don't
realize they're really getting less for their money at the
dollar store buying the smaller size.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
And am I correct that in better financial times when
these companies are doing a little bit better, they never
turn around and go, oh, we're doing good, now we
can lower the pro I mean, is there ever a
true price reduction?
Speaker 5 (06:01):
Once a price is gone.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Up, sometimes prices come down. You'll see specials, you may
see a loss leader. But people often ask, well do
you ever see the big product again? Well, sometimes they
shrink the product so much they have to bring back
a larger size, but it's never at the original price,
and they give it a fancy name, like potato chips.
(06:24):
You always used to have a one pound bag of
potato chips. Then they became fourteen ounces in thirteen and
twelve and eleven and ten. Then they bring back a
new one. Oh look, party size and it's sixteen ounces again.
Probably get double the original price.
Speaker 6 (06:39):
Whoa boy?
Speaker 1 (06:42):
So if party size and also new and improved is
nonsense a lot?
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Well, it's funny you mentioned before, are we ever going
to see something on a label that talks about getting
small size? We always see new and improved. My fantasy
has always been, are we going to see a starbars?
This says, look twenty percent less instead of twenty percent more.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
R Wow, but new improved it brings us back at
a bigger price. With new and improved. Do they have
to prove that it's new and improved in any way
or no.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
It's typically viewed as puffing to say that the product
is new and improved. Hopefully it really is true. They've
done something. I mean, for years, Sharman, the number one
toilet paper brand, used to say, oh, it's now softer
and it's fluffed. And I had asked them at one point, well,
you know, the original Sharman had six hundred and fifty
(07:34):
sheets on a roll. They're now down. If you could
find single rolls of Sharman to fifty five sheets on
a roll ninety percent less. Let me actually show you
a product. This is like a toy. You can see
the dollar bill is here to show this is maybe
an inch and a half more than a dollar bill.
(07:56):
If you could find a product like this today, it
would have fifty five sheets on a roll compared to
the original six hundred and fifty. But what did they do?
They came out with Mega size and then super megasize,
and now there's a Mega XXL size. That's four hundred
and forty sheets on Sharman, so it's still two hundred
(08:19):
less than the original.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
My god, So when it dropped from six hundred defined
to fifty, didn't the consumer go hell no oh.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
If you did it all in one fell swoop. But
we're talking about think of back to the days of
mister Whipple in the nineteen sixties. Ladies, Please don't squeeze
the Sharman right over the years, so it went down
to six hundred and five point fifty and five hundred
and four hundred and just slowly, maybe every six months,
maybe every year or two, so you don't catch it.
(08:51):
And that's what's so sneaky about shrink flation. Look at
the product and it looks about the same size as all.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Let me do the pushback and advocate. Just give the
company's point of view, he Edgar. Patroleum products costs more,
the processing costs more, labor benefits, labor costs more, real
estate costs more, electricity costs more. We couldn't do this
and keep a profit. Is that legitimate or is it
legitimate to say fifty percent of that? But they still
(09:18):
keep their margins, and the margins have gone up over
the years.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Well, it's legitimate that they have, you know, increased costs. Absolutely,
do they pass it on to consumers in a straightforward way.
Many shoppers say they would rather pay more than have
the sneaky backdoor price increase where they do it in
kind of a steaky, surreptitious way.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Well, how about store brands when you so when you
see that happens, and you go, I'm not choosing to
buy into this too much. I'll go with the store brand.
Is a store brand generally cheaper and more product.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Well, the store brand is generally cheaper, and it tends
to be the last one to change and downsize. Years ago,
when and Skippy went from eighteen ounces to sixteen point three,
you mentioned in your intro, how did they do it?
The old jar looked the same as the new jar. Well,
they put an indent in the bottom of the jar,
(10:13):
so it looked to be the same size. So the
kind of masters at packaging tricks. Cereal, for example, Kellogg
Cereal Special k RedBerry came out. It said it's announced
and a half or so less than it was before.
The new box is taller than the old one.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
Is this is this more or less limited to supermarket items,
or is this happening you know, in big electronics and
and appliances and cars. Is it is in it across
the board shrink flesh or is it just the sort
of small daily products we find on.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
The shelves Well we.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Is it across the board shrimp flesh or is it
just the sort of small daily products we find on
the shelves.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Well, we tend to see most in health and beauty
aids in supermarkets. But someone just posted today a story
about home depot having some certain type of wire and
they had the wire from four years ago in the
wire today and they showed it was a narrower gauge.
So it really can be across the board. See, and
(11:32):
a lot of times we don't know with skimpflation, where
the manufacturer reformulates the product, we don't know what percentage
of cleaning ingredients are intied. For example, it's not on
the label. So how would you know if they took
out some of the expensive cleaners in there and substituted
something else. You have no way of knowing.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Well, I also read somewhere that they shaved like bars
of soap. They'll shave the corners they're round off the
corners to shave size, and you won't so it's not
obvious when you're holding the bar that it's smaller.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
Is that accurate.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Well, they've changed the shape of bars. They've put a
curve in it. The bath sized bar used to be
five ounces. You're lucky if it's three point nine ounces
these days, tuna cans. It was seven ounces to start with,
then it was six and a half, and then six
(12:26):
and five and a half. In the current you know,
tuna is five ounces. Let me show you kind of
the history of ice cream. This is Briar's ice Cream,
one of the big brands, but other brands like Eighties,
did the same thing. Used to buy a half gallon
of ice cream sixty four ounces, then they took out
a cup, made it fifty six ounces. Then they took
(12:48):
out another cup and made it forty eight ounces. And
we're paying as much, if not more, today for ice
cream than we used to.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
Did They still call it a half gallon.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Now they don't call it a half gas. But I
mean here, when you have them lined up, you can
see a little bit of a difference. Yeah, But in
the store, unless you have that last package of the
old size right next to the new package of the
news size. You can't tell the difference, so the change
over time is very subtle. You buy a four roll
(13:19):
pack of toilet paper, it looks like I always did
same thing with paper towels, but you're getting much less.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
And is this commpletely legal that these companies do not
have to report what they're doing to the consumer.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
It is absolutely kosher as long as they list the
net weight or the net count on the package. It's
up to us, as good consumers and sharp shoppers to
pay attention. Shame on us if we don't pay attention.
And that's really one of my tips. You have to
get to know what the size of the products is
(13:55):
you normally buy. If you're just someone who goes to
the store, grabs the product, rose it in your cart.
You don't pay attention to the fine print, you're going
to get snuggered.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
When you see new streamline bottle, easier to grip or
whatever that can also be a giveaway.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Correct, correct, Well, I thought this gatorade is thirty two ounces,
this one is twenty eight, So you lost half a
cup between the two. Would you necessarily notice? No? What
did they do? They tapered the middle of this bottle,
and when I asked them, why did you do it,
they said, well, we wanted to make the bottle easier
(14:34):
to grip. Well, give me a break. Did they really
get a ton of consumer complaints? But said, gee, slipper
have a hard time holding this big bottle, please make
it smaller.
Speaker 6 (14:47):
Wow?
Speaker 5 (14:47):
Does the average consumer? This is interesting?
Speaker 4 (14:51):
I think I'm probably your worst nightmare because I am
a sort of a you know, I need towels, grab
it off the shelf. I don't really look as much.
But does the average consumer notice this?
Speaker 5 (15:01):
A and B care enough to stop the trend?
Speaker 2 (15:09):
I think more and more consumers are noticing. For decades,
I call this downsizing. But maybe seven or eight years ago,
the term strength inflation came about and the media really
glommed onto that. And because of it, there's been so
many stories about products shrinking. Consumers awareness of it really
(15:30):
is increasing. And when you read comments, you know, on
my website Mouthsprint dot org, when I showcase you know,
half a dozen or dozen items, people really are getting angry.
Many people say I'm going to switch away from the
name brand. I'm going to switch to another brand that
hasn't done it, or, as you mentioned before, the store brand,
which tends to be the last one to change. So
(15:53):
there is anger out there, but has that anger translated
into companies changing how they do business. Money talks louder
than consumer.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
So there hasn't been enough pushback to brands. Brands are
not suffering from this yet or are they? To people
At a certain point say I am switching brands, and
then these companies actually see it and it hurts them.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Well, the trouble is then the competitor switches to the
smaller size also, so now there's equilibrium, and where am
I going? Everyone's doing it? Where is there for the
consumer to go? There isn't They used to be time
you buy Oreos a sixteen ounce package and then they
went down to fifteen point something and now I believe
(16:36):
it's like thirteen point something for Oreos. If you don't
pay attention, you really don't realize you're getting less for
your money. One other nasty trick they're doing that we
mentioned before, like Potato Chips putting the name party size
on it. Breakfast Cereal you have large size, family size,
(16:58):
giant size on the top of cereal, and if they
conditioned people to buy by size name. You're not paying
attention to the net weight. So you know, wife says
the hobby go to the store and get some you know,
family sized cheerios. Well, he sees the word family, grabs it,
puts it in the cart, and you don't realize you
(17:21):
may be getting a ball or two less in every box.
That's how they get you. That's kind of the latest
trick in their in their playbook.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
So, Edgar, before we move on, I got to ask
you started out when I guess a lot of networks
had consumer reporters. I remember Philly they had a consumer
guy and they were always balled and went out and
busted somebody who ripped somebody off or whatever, and it
was entertained. It was entertainment and was also the legal
part of it whatever. And then that started to diminish.
(17:50):
And now you're like one of the last men standing.
And Jason and I were talking about this ahead of time.
You know, thankfully you do exist, and you got the
news letter and you got mouseprint and all of that.
But I don't see new I don't see any kids
coming up today saying I want to be a consumer advocate,
which is kind of like a whistleblower. You going against
these big companies, and as they consolidate, they get a
(18:11):
lot more powerful and they consue you. They can make
life miserable for consumer advocate. What's happening in that field?
Is there a national consumer Advocate get together that we
will have end of the year. Do you mentor anybody?
Do you see where that's going as far as protections?
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Well, well, actually the Consumer Consumer Federation of America has
an annual conference, but we are all aging. I used
to be a member of the Massachusetts Consumers Coalition, which
were all the local consumer groups in the state, and
there were some young guys in their twenties and I
was so happy to see them there and I said,
(18:46):
you know, you guys are the future of the movement.
You know, all of us are getting older, we're going
to be retiring, you're going to be taking over. What
do they do? They went and took other jobs. So
it's really tough, and particularly with the change in administrations.
I don't think you're going to see an active Federal
(19:07):
Trade Commission. I don't think you're going to see an
active Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or FCC. So we've lived
kind of a charmed life the past few years, with
you know, click to cancel no more, you know, fake reviews,
all these different initiatives by the consumer agencies. I think
(19:28):
they're going to be muffled, and that really is unfortunate
because we're all consumers. We do deserve protection from those
who would take advantage.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Of And if you go shopping, you're buying thirty items
and third or half of them are shrink flated, look
at what your buying power has worse.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
I'm also wondering, you know, I'm not pushing back on
your concern at all, Edgar, but I also wonder why
if I, I mean, if I'm making a product, and
sure I want to, I want to increase profit to the.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
Greatest extent I can.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
But even if you know, federally I'm not regulated to
do certain things that I know are best for my
customer base.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
Am I really just so.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
Unconcerned about my customer that I'll take every advantage of.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
Them I can. Do you find that there is just
no sense of.
Speaker 4 (20:22):
Ethics, you know, to the towards the consumer and the
customer base that easily flaunted.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
I mean, it's hard to call it unethical, is it
sneaky for sure. The trouble is everyone does it. It's
a copycat industry. One toilet paper brand downsizes, another one
follows suit. If one peanut butter gets smaller, another one
does it. One brand of cereal if Kellogg's does it,
(20:50):
General Mills follows. Any number of times when I've asked companies,
why did you do it, I'll say, well, a competitor
did it, So we're just kind of following the trend
in the market.
Speaker 5 (21:04):
That's what my mother would say.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
If the competitor jumped off the roof, would you jump
off the road?
Speaker 6 (21:08):
Here's the deal.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
That's what my mother would be to defend them from
a standpoint of are they ripping us off? So I'm
the company and I go my costs go up, I
have to launch new products that don't always work. That
I got a build in failure and all that, and
I got to deliver profits. Because I don't deliver profits,
I'm screwed. So if we're not going to sell a
product because we have to raise the price and our
competition hasn't, they're going to buy the competition.
Speaker 5 (21:29):
So choice more.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
If I if I say to a consumer, you can
pay the same price and get less, or I'll give
you what you're used to getting, but I need to
charge you thirty cents more. And here's why. Why wouldn't
the consumers say okay?
Speaker 1 (21:43):
But just because some doing, some can't afford it. So
there you go.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
I mean that's sure, but right now the choice isn't
on the table.
Speaker 5 (21:50):
It is what seems to be the result.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
It's going to be interesting. Do you think this will continue?
The trimplation goes on for average just it's worse now
in some respects. Do you think it's going to keep going?
Speaker 2 (22:00):
It's going to keep going. And if you have two seconds,
I will tell you the folklore of how it started.
Back in the nineteen fifties was the time of nickel
vending machines for candy. All all of a sudden, the
chocolate manufacturers told the vendors, oh, you know, we're gonna
have to raise our prices. Well, they said, what are
(22:20):
we going to do? The vendors said, because our machines
take a nickel, we can't make the machines take six cents.
So someone came up with a brilliant idea, Oh, we'll
make the chocolate bars a little smaller. So you're talking
about since at least the nineteen fifties, So what's that
seventy five years? Happy anniversary.
Speaker 6 (22:41):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (22:41):
So one last question, are even the gluten free and
the organic people doing this? Is a you know, is
a vegan? Is a vegan product? Less of what I
don't want?
Speaker 2 (22:53):
It is across the board. Actually, a consumer reporter here
in Boston said, you better go to Whole Foods because
you know they're shredded mazzarella. It used to be eight ounces,
and I think it's now only six or seven.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
So oh yeah, oh yeah, consumer world dot org is
the place to go. And what's the mouseprint one? Mouseprint
and mouseprint dot org, which I love. And as soon
as you see that, you go, how many things have
I signed in my lifetime that I haven't read?
Speaker 5 (23:19):
Oh my god?
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Every time I click on an Apple product, I go,
well that's a kidney.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
Check out his website and it's fascinating to thank mouseprint
dot org two. And thanks for coming on here, Thanks
for doing what you're doing.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
Well, great, thanks for having me guy.
Speaker 5 (23:32):
A pleasure, sure, a pleasure.
Speaker 6 (23:43):
So it's just hard.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
It's just we may have gotten the we may have
gone a little shorter. With it, we might be did
we shrink? Did our episode shrink?
Speaker 5 (23:52):
Did we do enough? Are we getting forty percent less
the same price?
Speaker 6 (23:57):
Edgar Dorsky forty percent less?
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Well, it's kind of a simplistic idea, but I think
most people either they well they're stinicare because they're pushing
back everywhere. And as he went off, he just said
in Europe, yeah, wors the product.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
I just think it's an insant. Like you know, for me,
I would never know. Am I counting the chips and
the pringles? Can I don't know?
Speaker 5 (24:20):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Yeah, but when I opened them, when I opened that
family pack of chips at home, and I'm looking down,
like at the Chilean miners, they're way down there.
Speaker 6 (24:29):
Where do the chips start? Way down?
Speaker 1 (24:31):
You start to go, wait a minute, this is this
is less. And again I don't think a lot of
people begrudge the companies because I guess they figure doing
business is harder, it costs more, they got to pay time,
whatever that is. On the other hand, I think the
pushback is big because it is it does appear sneaky
and because the prices.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
Never go back, that's right. The thing is, you know, honestly. Yeah,
trust me to be a big boy.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
Tell me.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
You know, hey, guys, our costs are going up. We're
going to give this to you. Two ways can buy
exactly the same product, but it'll be a little more
for those of you that can't afford more. We're going
to give you a little all right, but I'll push
back and then well and then you know, you go, Okay,
we're in a relationship.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
But I can push back right now. Sure all of
our items are marked, We have the weight on the item,
and yeah, I guess what.
Speaker 6 (25:15):
Look at the way you paid. Look the weight and paid.
You can see it. It's not like we're hiding that. No,
but of course we made the.
Speaker 5 (25:22):
Nobody's reading the weight.
Speaker 6 (25:23):
Level the cereal box I saw.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
I saw an example of that where there's like less
and the box looked like a mountain the Chrysler building.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
Well, I should also point out that a little. And
I don't want to potential. I mean, but some of
the cereals, you know, where it's sugar with an oat.
Speaker 6 (25:41):
If you're not getting that extra two cups of might
not hurt.
Speaker 5 (25:45):
I didn't want to name names, Captain.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
But.
Speaker 6 (25:52):
We know they're sugary.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Yeah, I mean, you know.
Speaker 6 (25:55):
But that's up to me.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
That's my responsibility what I want to eat, And it's
right there on the box right now to Tony.
Speaker 5 (26:01):
Whoever Tony's gun isn't Tony gunn No, I don't.
Speaker 6 (26:04):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (26:05):
He's still there, don't know. Yes, he's still there on
the frosted plates.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
The reason I asked if it's just supermarket stuff is
because you know, I buy and eat a lot of garbage,
unless if it wouldn't be so bad.
Speaker 5 (26:18):
But if they did that.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
To me on a car and they go with one
less part. You know what I was thinking of the
whole time. I thank god I have a fountain in
my head of Jerry Seinfeld material and he used to
do this bit about the Sert's commercial now with two
drops of reds and then we go two drops of redsin.
Speaker 5 (26:35):
Nobody is what the hell retsin is? There's too drops?
Speaker 1 (26:40):
We now have more of something you've never heard of,
and you weren't sure if what was there before, which
is insane, right, I thought that was so brough By
the way, The point is, I don't know what age
it now has wretched? Yeah, yeah, right, you know what,
He's smart because we had a word guy on. Obviously
the way they present it must be, must be. Why
(27:03):
would they put it in here? And by the way, they
didn't skimp us in each in each mint?
Speaker 6 (27:09):
Wow? Yeah wow.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
The new Toyota Prius now with Retchen does it work
on everything?
Speaker 6 (27:14):
Does it work on everything?
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Docs, Tiders, Khaki bands Due three featuring reds and with
a pocket for your retsin? Can you we have to
have David look up, well, Lauren, look up, look up
rets and and see if it even exists?
Speaker 6 (27:29):
See what?
Speaker 1 (27:30):
See what comes up when you're putting the words redsin?
Speaker 5 (27:34):
What?
Speaker 6 (27:34):
What? What is it?
Speaker 5 (27:36):
Does it show a picture?
Speaker 6 (27:37):
Do you squeeze an animals? Get it? What is it?
What is it?
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Right?
Speaker 5 (27:40):
You definitely squeeze an animals? Again that question?
Speaker 6 (27:42):
Yeah, we never think of here's an episode.
Speaker 4 (27:44):
Really when he when he came out with that bit,
I thought, that's the most brilliant observation because I used
to watch those commercials and.
Speaker 5 (27:50):
Go I follow.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Yeah, yeah, but Retch, let's see if there's a retson answer.
Speaker 7 (27:57):
I have an answer. Retsin is a trademarked ingredients.
Speaker 5 (28:02):
In shirts, SERTs.
Speaker 6 (28:03):
It's a trademarking green in shirts. It does what that.
Speaker 7 (28:06):
Gives them their signature green flex and helps combat.
Speaker 6 (28:10):
Bad Okay, it gives it.
Speaker 7 (28:11):
It is a mixture of partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, copper,
glucinate and flavoring does.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Okay, surely nothing and it suggests the word retsin.
Speaker 5 (28:21):
They took those things.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
But but it so it gives it to green sprinkles. Yeah,
it helps with your breath and whatever. So it is
the item that is the breath fighter.
Speaker 6 (28:30):
I guess sure.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
But on the industry how but where do they get
the fun name Retsen?
Speaker 1 (28:35):
And by the way, I come from an advertising background
where you have to sit and compete. Let's go around
the now shirts table. Guys, what do you think Bigger, lasts, longer,
guarantees good breath.
Speaker 6 (28:47):
How what do you got now with now? With retsin?
Speaker 1 (28:52):
Know in the industries claiming the Retsin thing, Well, nobody
knows what it is. Hal guys were going with it.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Yeah, we all and we all flocked it. It sold well, yeah,
sold still upsirts. I'm still thinking and it has rats.
Speaker 6 (29:06):
Why wouldn't I buy it?
Speaker 5 (29:06):
Of course? David Google, they're now shorter, David Google on, well,
I've cut off my feet.
Speaker 8 (29:14):
But actually, Jason if you do, in fact have some
SERTs lying around.
Speaker 5 (29:22):
They're valuable two things.
Speaker 8 (29:24):
One you could sell them on eBay because they were
discontinued in twenty eighteen. Yeah, but you have to mark
on the sale not for human consumption, because they've actually
banned the ingredients that were dumb come on rets it?
Speaker 6 (29:42):
Yes?
Speaker 9 (29:43):
Really no, really, so the new one, we should watch
it no longer new and improved, and we can say
new and improved, new and improved with.
Speaker 6 (29:55):
Wow. I didn't know that.
Speaker 5 (29:57):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (29:58):
Yes, holy crap. The thing they promoted as the cell.
Speaker 5 (30:02):
Got them, got them taking off the market.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
I say, allegedly use the word that we haven't don't
want to be served for that.
Speaker 5 (30:09):
Yeah, it was. It has not been allowed to be
sold in food in.
Speaker 8 (30:14):
The United States since since twenty eighteen. So there ago
now no more reds and no more asserts. I guess
that there's a stink on it ironically.
Speaker 6 (30:25):
Really no, really, that's huge.
Speaker 4 (30:28):
I have to learn to really respect the expiration dates
of things too.
Speaker 5 (30:31):
I don't really I.
Speaker 6 (30:32):
Don't trust something.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
I don't trust all the tapio coupogans a month, month, month,
two months. Yeah, certain stuff you don't risk it, but
other stuff you go, come on you you know, it's.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
Like I'll buy a sliced Deli meat and I didn't
get to it for a week and my wife goes throw.
Speaker 6 (30:47):
It out, and I go, this, you do what your grandfather?
What did your grandfather? What did your grandfather do?
Speaker 5 (30:52):
What did he do?
Speaker 6 (30:53):
Yeah? You smell it, You smell you smell it, and
if it.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Smells even kind of close to what it should be,
you go, right, all right, have you ever Okay.
Speaker 5 (31:02):
If it's mild body odor, it's still.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
My grandfather actually saw my grandfather would take like a muffin,
it would have mold on.
Speaker 5 (31:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
Should I go wow, Yeah, I've done that to a bagel.
That piece was moldy. The rest of it's fine.
Speaker 6 (31:16):
You don't know what's hard.
Speaker 5 (31:17):
Then I nuke it, and I go, what's going to
survive the nuke?
Speaker 6 (31:19):
You don't know what other colonies are breeding in there.
Speaker 5 (31:22):
It's it's just that it's pencil.
Speaker 6 (31:25):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Really, And you're worried about skimflation and you're eating bagels.
Bagels they've grown mushrooms on them. It doesn't matter two
for one now with mushrooms. So fruit fruit until.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
It's like unless if fruit falls apart in my hand.
If it doesn't do that, I mean this dietegrates when
you figure it out.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Oh man, wow, how is a banana left in your
house a banana?
Speaker 4 (31:48):
Well, first of all, yes, it has stages because versus
the banana in the bowl.
Speaker 6 (31:55):
Yes. Yes.
Speaker 5 (31:56):
Then when it's when you go, it's going to get
some spots. Then you put it in the fridge.
Speaker 6 (32:00):
See that's what I freeze it. I put in a freezer.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Put it in the fridge for the spots. When the
spots meld into one brown banana freezer. Now you open it,
you take the skin out, you wrap it in seran. Actually,
you slice the mushy banana. You slice them the mushy
banana in half. You put peanut butter in it, and
then put the other half back on, wrap it in soran,
and freeze it.
Speaker 6 (32:24):
You're taking a mushy oh dead banana.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
Once it's frozen. Once it's frozen, it's not mushy anymore.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
You take but you take a banana you wouldn't eat,
and put peanut butter on it to bring it new life,
bring it.
Speaker 6 (32:36):
Back, give it my banana life. How many people here
have ever heard of that?
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Nobody anything else that goes to you.
Speaker 5 (32:51):
What you've been to my house?
Speaker 2 (32:55):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (32:56):
I don't want to.
Speaker 4 (32:56):
I don't want to even I've got coffee in my
You don't take it black, do you?
Speaker 6 (33:07):
I don't want to go there. I don't want to
know what you.
Speaker 4 (33:10):
Whatever the curtain says, whatever it says. If you pour
the milk in and it doesn't come up in little clumps,
it was probably okay.
Speaker 5 (33:17):
Don't you think you drank it?
Speaker 1 (33:20):
I'm not flashing back so many scripts I have written,
and how much monk I've oead of your house? Surprised
that I'm still alive? Yeah, yeah, you still pall? Yeah, yeah, whatever,
I totally intolerant. Was that white stuff in my coffee?
Rotten banana? Rotten banana?
Speaker 5 (33:34):
By the way, also a good use googlehind Thank you
for that.
Speaker 6 (33:38):
In from you too long about the rest wow retch
and took him out?
Speaker 5 (33:42):
Yeah, Edgar strike anything else.
Speaker 8 (33:43):
Well, it's just sort of struck me, Jason, that that
the bagel gets to eat and even though it's green,
but the banana, the banana gets re shifted several times
without the consideration of maybe I just eat it.
Speaker 4 (33:59):
No, No, do you ever really just want to pick
up a banana.
Speaker 5 (34:03):
Yeah, I've never had that.
Speaker 6 (34:06):
I buy them with good intentions.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
I buy them for cereal, and then I don't eat
cereal that morning. And then the bananas I.
Speaker 6 (34:11):
Have blueberries have been looking at me for two weeks. Right,
you want to get hard? When is this happening here?
When is this happening?
Speaker 5 (34:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (34:17):
And then I ate them in some yogberries and they
taste it horrible. Yeah, and they're probably bad, but I went, yeah,
but in yogurt.
Speaker 4 (34:25):
Okay, welcome to my house. Now you're in my house.
By the way, it's only me in my house. My
wife throws everything out.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
This is why, this is why there'sous.
Speaker 5 (34:35):
It's trench warfare.
Speaker 6 (34:37):
The sort you put it in.
Speaker 5 (34:38):
I've made it to forty four years. My day was
stamped when.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
I fixture with you, because I know if you come
home shopping, you open a fiery put something, and you
walk out of there, she takes it out immediately.
Speaker 5 (34:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
But she also she's also the one that leaves a
thimble of milk in the milk.
Speaker 5 (34:53):
Oh, still good, excuse me, still good?
Speaker 1 (34:55):
Excuse me. Yeah, So you talk about cheap.
Speaker 4 (34:58):
It's not cheap. It's Dana it's not about sheep for Dana.
Speaker 5 (35:03):
She I bought it. It's good, I'll use it and
I go.
Speaker 4 (35:07):
But you that that you don't have You don't have
a thimble of milk in there.
Speaker 5 (35:12):
Well, well I have what I have.
Speaker 1 (35:14):
But when I'm squeezing mustard and it's parting and only
the liquid is coming out, I think it's time.
Speaker 6 (35:18):
Don't you think it's time? David? It's time.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
Another episode of really No Really is out. You got
an option. You can say goodbye, or you can shmear
us with peanut butter wrappers and saran wrap and put
us in the freeze.
Speaker 5 (35:28):
By the way, people will be doing that, I bet they.
Speaker 6 (35:30):
I bet they won't. I bet they will.
Speaker 5 (35:32):
Not write us and tell us.
Speaker 4 (35:33):
I bet they will if you do the three stages
of a banana's life.
Speaker 10 (35:39):
That's another episode of really No Really. He comes to
a close, and I know you're.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
Wondering what items are the most profitable for the supermarket. Well,
I'll mark that answer up for you in a minute.
But versus, let's thank our guest, Edgar Dwarski.
Speaker 10 (35:50):
You can follow it.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
You're at either of these websites consumerworld dot org or
mouseprint Dottal and now they answers the question what items
are the most profitable for the supermarket. Bulk items big
stores like Costco where you buy twenty four rolls of
toilets pay for at a time. Sure, the price may
look like a bargain, but take out your calculator and
divide the price by the number of roles. Then check
(36:12):
what a four pack with the same item costs, and
you may be surprised that buying in bulk is not
a savings.
Speaker 10 (36:18):
Brand name over the counter medicines are.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
Way more expensive than their generic counterparts comparing gredients, and
if they seem similar, saved with the gennire.
Speaker 10 (36:26):
Convenience items may cost you big markets. No, you don't
want to go to several stores if you can get
everything at once.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
To the market of convenience items like light bulbs and
greeting cards that would be less at a hardware or
stationary store. Breakfast cereals are often the biggest shelf in
the market. Why huge markups for the market huge and finally,
pre cut fruit and veggie so convenience, all sliced or
diced or chopped and ready to go in their little
container butt They are often ten times the price.
Speaker 10 (36:53):
If you had just bought the ingredients and slice it yourself.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
You're paying for the labor, so best bet buy generic
by Just Foods and buy them the way nature gives
them to you, and you'll save substantially at your local market.
Speaker 10 (37:05):
Enjoy Really na Really is production of iHeartRadio and Blase
Entertainment
Hosts And Creators
Peter Tilden
Jason Alexander
Popular Podcasts
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Decisions, Decisions
Welcome to "Decisions, Decisions," the podcast where boundaries are pushed, and conversations get candid! Join your favorite hosts, Mandii B and WeezyWTF, as they dive deep into the world of non-traditional relationships and explore the often-taboo topics surrounding dating, sex, and love. Every Monday, Mandii and Weezy invite you to unlearn the outdated narratives dictated by traditional patriarchal norms. With a blend of humor, vulnerability, and authenticity, they share their personal journeys navigating their 30s, tackling the complexities of modern relationships, and engaging in thought-provoking discussions that challenge societal expectations. From groundbreaking interviews with diverse guests to relatable stories that resonate with your experiences, "Decisions, Decisions" is your go-to source for open dialogue about what it truly means to love and connect in today's world. Get ready to reshape your understanding of relationships and embrace the freedom of authentic connections—tune in and join the conversation!