This Has To Stop Now! Shrinking toilet paper

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mattl

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Just a rant, perhaps this should be in the DL thread, but it does involve a product for the home, so....

 

I only use Charmin Ultra mega rolls of TP.  Ran out the other day and picked up a 6 pack yesterday, normally get the 12 pack.  I had the roll sitting on the counter and it looked off.  Something was not right.  Then it hit me the roll was SHORTER!  Now over the years they have increased the cardboard roll size and such but when I placed the old cardboard tube next to the new roll I found it 1/4" shorter.

 

This has to stop.  Just raise the damn price and be done with it.  I will not buy anything from Northern, Brawny or Georgia Pacific because of it's Krotch ownership.  I know of no meaningful way to protest this, I feel powerless.  Shrinking Coffee, shrinking cereal boxes, shrinking everything and no one cares.
 
Costco!

I also refuse to buy G-P products because of the Choke brothers. My solution comes from the good folks at Costco: Kirkland Signature toilet tissue. Soft, strong, plentiful on the roll--and best of all, cheap!
Charmin is not used in our house because it clogs the toilets. Kirkland Signature doesn't.
 
OMG...this is all so true....but too damn funny.....you guys are a riot.....

too many products are getting smaller for the same price....

whats next?.....smaller/shorter condoms..(can that be said here?)....smaller packaging...Shrinky Dinks?..
 
Apparently, At Leat According To P&G And Others

Consumers vastly prefer smaller packaging and or produce "alterations" than price increases. That is there story and they are sticking with it.

When you think about it despite increased costs most consumer goods/foods have not risen (much) in cost. This even with the fast real US inflation is running about 2% (no, not the funny number the federal government uses).

An fraction of a gram here, and ounce there can add up when you are dealing with producing and transporting thousands of pounds of goods daily.

Regarding TP, we always use coupons and stock up when local "store 24" has sales. These normally are those huge 12 or more roll sizes. The other way to save again buying in bulk is to hit K-Mark, Costco, or similar stores and again purchasing when on sale.
 
It's True.

So many products are shrinking nowadays. My greatest frustration is with Colgate-Palmolive, who regularly help themselves to a bigger chunk of my money with "hidden" price increases created by downsizing the goods.

They are not alone. ALDI has been playing games with package sizes recently; one of my mainstay items, Season's Blend California Medley frozen vegetables, got the treatment a few weeks ago. You used to get a 16-ounce poly bag for 99 cents, a terrific value. Now you get a 12-ounce "steamable" bag for $1.09, which is something like a 35-percent increase, two-thirds of which is hidden by the downsizing.

A call to ALDI corporate got nothing but the usual ALDI consumer relations treatment - backtalk, condescension and fierce attempts to "win the argument."

The really nasty thing about it is that I am now forced to pay for a form of packaging I am dead-set against - the "steamable" bag. God only knows what petrochemical nasties are being leached into one's food while they're being nuked. I do not intend to find out the hard way.

P.S.: If you ever need to call ALDI's toll-free number, and you get connected to a customer service rep who identifies herself as "Candy," my advice to you is to hang up while you still have some enamel left on your teeth. Not a nice person. [this post was last edited: 10/2/2013-19:58]
 
 
<span style="font-size: medium;">I tell you boys, after a bidet, nothing leaves your butt cleaner and spring time fresh better than </span>
<h1><span style="font-size: medium;">Kirkland Signature Moist Flushable Wipes (Costco), Berkley & Jensen Family and Toddler Wipes (BJ's) or Member's Mark Flushable Wipes (Sam's Club) And yes I have memberships to all three.</span></h1>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Is it me, or has Charmin really gotten into SCAT undertones?</span>  
<span style="font-size: medium;"> </span>


 
<span style="font-size: medium;">I miss Mr Whipple.</span>
 
Everything Is Being Downsized

Nothing is sacred.

Ever since one has been keeping one's own household chicken thighs were sold in six or larger to a package. About a year or so ago noticed while the price per pound remained the same or increased, the number of pieces per package decreased. A six pack of thighs is now usually five. If there is six then they are small almost squab sized. The only poultry that comes in anywhere decent sizes is that ghastly Perdue, Tyson or other brands full of water and or hormones.

So now the math for meal time has changed. Depending upon the number of persons you may have to purchase two or three packages of chicken to feed the lot.

The persons really being squeezed by this "non-inflation" food inflation are those on fixed incomes and or food stamps. Regardless of what the federal government says their purchasing power has decreased. They are spending more and often getting less, this means often already tight food budgets are being stretched even thinner. It is either that or substitute high quality foods with cheaper but less nutritious but filling choices.

It comes as no wonder to us that "dumpster diving" is on the increase all over NYC. We are seeing not just the homeless but persons of all walks and manner of lives going through bin or rubbish bags in front of shops/supermarkets.
 
I'm afraid you're a bit confused my dear.

 

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">Post 11: This was food thrown out because of the blackout. Who were the "customers"? People who don't want to shell out 12 bucks for sushi. They went straight for the expensive stuff. After all, bar hopping can get pricey. </span>

<span style="font-size: medium;">
</span>

<span style="font-size: medium;">Post 12: "...“You never know what’s going to be in these bags on any given night,” said Fields, who makes $500 to $600 a week at a theater job while going to school and has been scrounging for food since the beginning of summer." Need I say more?</span>

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">Posts 13 & 14: These are environmental/sustainability movements
</span>

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">This is a way of life for some. They're either pretentious, wannabe's that want to say they live in NYC or they're into some "green" movement.</span>

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">In other words, </span><span style="font-size: medium;">they're not doing it because they have to, they're doing it because they want to.</span>

<span style="font-size: medium;">
</span>

<span style="font-size: medium;">So to clarify, I was referring to destitute, starving people. Not someone too cheap to buy an $8.00 salad.
</span>

 
 
Smaller packaging ...

... a few years ago, back when I was still eating "chemical" foods, I happened to notice that the stacks of Fig Newtons seemed a bit short. In fact, it seemed like there was still room for 2 or three 3 cookies in that bag!

I did some research and used a very rough estimate of how many boxes of Fig Newtons Nabsico sells, how much retail per cookie, and how much they were saving us by shorting us 4 Fig Newtons per box.

Ready for it?

$36 million. PER YEAR.

And that's just for Fig Newtons. Where else are they shorting us??
 
I have yet to see it.

And just because you don't see rats coming out of the sewers in your area you presume they aren't there either?

What you see largely will depend on where you live and what is in your area. It also helps if you know what exactly to look "for".

Obviously those whom are not "homeless", "destitute", "starving' and or other such dire conditions may or may not be so keen to be seen rummaging through garbage or dumpsters; others may or may not be so picky.

As for the "either pretentious, wannabe's that want to say they live in NYC or they're into some "green" movement", those persons simply tapped into something homeless and other New Yorkers have known for ages; supermarkets, shops and other such establishments throw away daily tons of foods, packaged goods, and other products that are perfectly edible. Same goes for places such as Starbucks, Francois Patisserie Pain de Quotidien, Godiva Chocolates, the various bagel shops,bakeries and so forth. What on earth do you think all mice and rats are hunting around those bags for?

City Harvest does take a good portion of such cast off food, but large amounts are simply still thrown away. If you hang around Starbucks around closing you'll see everything from rows of those pre-packaged sandwiches, to several entire boxes of unsold and unpacked croissants all thrown out to the curb.

Most of this action obviously takes place after shops close or at least later in the evening when they throw out their rubbish for collection. Thus if you are not prone to be outdoors late evening or overnight hours you probably aren't going to see much of anything. Ditto if your area is mainly residential.

There is a Food Emporium on Third Avenue in the East 80's where Sunday though Saturday from 9PM onwards you can see any given numbers of persons from the elderly, homeless, middle class persons in late model cars and so forth going through the rubbish. Know from several friends that live near Union Square or the UWS the same thing happens in their area as well. Indeed there is a big war on about certain shops in the US area (Trader Joes and Whole Foods) because their rubbish is collected from inside a loading dock. That is considered private property and thus "dumpster diving" is trespassing.

Have joked with many a Starbuck or supermarket manager about all the food they throw away and is subsequently collected via "divers", and many while sympathetic to said person's plight are powerless to change policy. Corporate does not want the liability should someone become ill from whatever they take from selling "unwholesome" food, so it goes to the curb. What persons take from the rubbish and the consequences are purely their own affair.

http://gridskipper.com/archives/entries/61214/61214.php
 
Dumpster diving has its risks-esp with food items-Many times if the food has been thrown out-IT MIGHT NOT BE FIT TO EAT-DO SO AT YOUR RISK!!!!Esp eggs,meats,dairy products.If the package-such as ice cream is not cold and melted---DO NOT USE!!!!!And are the packages CLEAN???If not DO NOT USE!!!!When I dumpster dove-salvaged mainly items-like appliances and such-NOT food.Just too risky-and of course another hazard for dumpster divers---THE TRASH TRUCK!!!!Don't allow yourself to get dumpted in it-keep an ear and eye out for the truck-GET OUT of the dumpster right away if the truck approaches it.Getting crushed in the trucks packer will get you killed-Is this worth your life? And you may encounter "other" dumpster divers such as rats,mice,raccoons and possums,and in some cases----BEARS!!!On classsic refuse trucks they show a bear pushing a dumpster away from a building so he can rummage thru it at his leasure.
 
I'm apparently in the minority of people who would rather pay a few cents more for a product that remains what is commonly considered "full-size". As a person who prepares a lot of food, the downsizing of some products messes with recipes.

I use cake mixes frequently as a base for coffee cakes. Downsizing these from 18.25 ozs. to 15.25 definitely changes characteristics of the final product. Thank goodness the Hy-Vee store brand still makes an 18.25 oz. cake mix. The quality of the product is comparable to national brands.

The latest downsizing trend causing me to spit spikes involves bags of shredded cheese. Kraft, in particular, is systematically downsizing their 8 oz. bags to 6 or 7 ozs. There are 2 cups of cheese in an 8 oz. bag and 1.75 cups in a 7 oz. bag. This probably isn't a deal-breaker when stirred into a casserole or used in a lasagna, but it will definitely mess with a sauce recipe.

While almost all downsizing annoys me, I have to admit that getting a 12 oz. bag of coffee beans instead of a full pound (16 ozs.) probably isn't going to play into altering a recipe. It simply means that, while the price is enticing, you'll have to purchase it more often.

Oh, the trials and tribulations we 1st-world people have to endure! The poverty-stricken have no idea, do they?

[this post was last edited: 10/3/2013-11:27]
 
Why can't ...

... you just make your cakes from scratch?

It's just one extra step and you're not consuming all those nasty chemicals in the boxed mixes.
 
Matt:

While the additives in packaged foods are a consideration for many people, what's at work here is that a lot of well-loved "product recipes" don't work as well any more, or don't work at all, because of package downsizing.

The fabulous Bacardi Rum Cake and its variations (Chcolate, Pina Colada, etc.) would be just one of the casualties.

Yeah, if you're an experienced baker you can get around this. But product recipes were for the average person with limited skills and time who wanted a great result.
 
You can probably Google this, there's a pic somewhere of someone holding up 2 of those chocolate easter eggs. I think they were both a few years apart or something, it shows the size difference. 
 
Eugene is right.....

think about this.....a simple Betty Crocker cake mix call for 2 extra large eggs per recipe....but since the size has changed....do I look for a chicken that lays a reduced size egg to match the recipe so that it is not altered from previous product?....

some things can't be altered that far off track without causing something to be out of whack!.....

next thing you know, a dozen eggs will now come as an eleven pack....too much brain power will go in to making it an even ten...

on a side note....I do like some of these newer TP without the cardboard roll in the center, more product on the roll, and no cardboard waste to get rid of...
 

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