Kellogg’s is resorting to ‘deceptive’ ways to distract shoppers from its shrinkflation tactics.
A photo shared on Reddit highlights how the brand has made its family-size Special K box taller – while actually reducing the amount of cereal inside.
Shrinkflation is when products shrink in size or quantity while the price remains the same or even increases.
‘As a consumer you’d think to grab the “larger” box, only the realize it’s 1.3 oz less,’ a user wrote on Reddit alongside the photo. ‘Oh, and of course, it’s the same price!’
The smaller box contains 16.9 oz, the picture shows, while the taller box contains 15.6 oz.
A photo circulating on social media site Reddit shows how the brand has increased the height of its family size Special K, but has actually lowered the number of ounces of cereal in the box
While the exact price of the 16.9 oz box is not shown in the photo, the 15.6 oz box costs $5.49 in the unidentified store.
Outraged consumers commented on on the Reddit thread, accusing Kellogg’s of ‘blazing the trail as one of the global worst offenders of this.’
‘They’re just laughing at us now,’ one user wrote.
‘I can imagine the board room meetings. “They will fall for it”,’ they added.
‘So scummy, on many levels,’ another wrote.
A frustrated consumer also chimed in: ‘That’s what makes me so mad! It’s intentionally deceptive!’
Another photo on Reddit also shows a similar size change with Kellogg’s Raisin Bran – where the taller packaging contains 27.1 oz, and the smaller box contains 34.2 oz.
‘Shame on you Mr. Kellogg,’ the user wrote alongside the photo.
It comes after fresh findings released earlier this month laid bare the true extent of ‘shrinkflation’ in the US, and just how much Americans are being shortchanged.
Of almost 100 everyday products analyzed by LendingTree, it found a third had shrunk in the last five years.
The cost, meanwhile, had stayed the same or increased.
‘People are already frustrated that things cost more,’ said Matt Schulz, LendingTree chief credit analyst.
‘Shrinkflation just adds insult to injury. It all adds up to a lot of Americans feeling squeezed every month to afford the basic things they can’t do without.’
Another photo on Reddit also shows a similar size change with Kellogg’s Raisin Bran
Of almost 100 everyday products analyzed by LendingTree, it found a third had shrunk in the last five years
A LendingTree report has laid bare the true extent of ‘shrinkflation’ in the US, and just how much Americans are being shortchanged
Household paper products, which includes toilet paper and paper towels, saw the biggest change in size over the time period, according to the study, with 60 percent reducing their sheet count.
After household paper products, breakfast items were the most likely to shrink, LendingTree found.
LendingTree researchers compared Walmart prices and product sizes from 2019 and 2020 to August and September 2024 to find out which items had changed the most.
As well as the majority shrinking in size, it also found that only two items had fallen in price over the time period.
Schulz said businesses prefer shrinking products over raising prices, as they know that customers do not like it when this happens.
‘Shrinkflation is a sneaky little way around that,’ he said.
‘Rather than bumping up the price of something, businesses make the product smaller while keeping the price the same.
‘If done smartly, customers may not even notice. However, the problem is that when they do, it leaves the customer with a bad taste in their mouth because it feels so deceptive.’
It comes as two Democratic lawmakers earlier this month accused Coca Cola, PepsiCo and General Mills of profiteering off consumers through shrinkflation.
Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Madeleine Dean wrote to the CEOs of the companies accusing them of subtly decreasing the size of cereals and sodas sold in stores.
‘Unfortunately, this price gouging is a widespread problem, with corporate profits driving over half of inflation,’ they said.
