While Costco is known as a place to buy in bulk, one shopper got less than she expected from her Dove deodorant pack—and she says the company is “tricking customers.”
In a video with almost 40,000 views as of Sunday, content creator @boulderdancer records a woman who says her multipack of Dove deodorant had been sneakily downsized from five to four.
“There used to be five deodorants in this Costco pack,” the woman begins, “there are [now] only four, but they trick you because the package is the same size and they took one away.”
“So instead of having five in this large box, they have four with this,” she says pointing to a cardboard filler that seemingly fills the space where a fifth deodorant could fit.
@boulderdancer #shrinkflation at Costco @Dove Beauty & Personal Care ♬ original sound – boulderdancer
Viewers are on her side
In the comments section, users shared their grievances about similar experiences.
“They did the same thing with the Dove’s Men Deodorant I buy from Sam’s Club. Used to get 5 now it’s 4,” one user wrote.
“They did this with the Colgate toothpaste too, but they shrunk the size of the tubes,” a second viewer added.
“Same way they reduced the pack of bottled water from 45 to 40 pack,” yet another viewer shared.
The practice users are noticing and referring to has a name: “Shrinkflation.” According to The New York Times, “shrinkflation,” which is the act by companies of downsizing their products with slimmer containers, smaller bottles, or less quantity of product in a multipack, has been practiced for centuries. However, shrinkflation has grown more rampant in the last decade.
Additionally, since the peak of inflation in the U.S. in July 2022 at 9.1 percent, American consumers are increasingly becoming more aware (and more frustrated) of shrinkflation and how it’s hitting their wallets. The New York Times reports that from 2019-2023, shrinkflation has contributed more heavily to household cleaning products, household paper products, sweets and candy, and coffee.
While the U.S. government does account for shrinkflation in inflation data, what is much more difficult to measure and thus report is “skimpflation,” the popular practice of companies to use lower quality, cheaper materials to create products and sell for the same price. This too, runs the risk of leaving a bad taste in consumers’ mouths.
As both shrinkflation and skimpflation grow in awareness to consumers (with viral TikToks breaking down which brands have used either or both), companies place their brand image in vulnerable positions and risk losing loyal customers.
As one viewer said simply under @boulderdancer’s video, “[This is] corporate greed.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Dove via email and @2boulderdancer via TikTok private message for more information.
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