How Cereal Box Sizes Are Tricking You Amid Shrinkflation

Humans are creatures of habit. Your morning routine may look something like hitting snooze on an alarm clock once or twice, getting ready for the day, and enjoying a bowl of cereal before leaving for work. It's time to start paying closer attention to the little, sugary circles in your bowl, though, because you may not notice that your cereal boxes are tricking you. Cereals are the latest product on the rise in the phenomenon known as "shrinkflation," otherwise known as the reason why your favorite packaged foods have gotten smaller.

You might pick up a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch labeled "family size" and think you're getting a better deal for it, but careful examination reveals that although box sizes are growing and labels are changing to appear more appealing, the amount of product inside is actually shrinking. Any person who spots the "family size" or "giant size" label is probably tempted to put it in their cart because who doesn't want a bigger product for a decent price? This is exactly how cereal manufacturing brands expect consumers to behave, falling victim to clever marketing even though the product inside is shrinking compared to previous years.

An article from The Guardian revealed studies from Deakin University that compared the prices of Kellogg's Sultana Bran from 2019 to 2024. Six years ago, an 850-gram box of Sultana Bran cost about $6, but in 2024 the package size shrank to 700 grams and the price increased to about $9. In the United States, research from Consumer World found that Post's Honey Bunches of Oats (one of the top five bestselling cereals in America) used to sell a "family size" 23-ounce box for $5.69. The company shrank the "family size" down to 18 ounces and knocked ten cents off the price, then introduced a supposedly new "giant size" with 23 ounces back at the $5.69 price. General Mills is in on shrinkflation, which caught the attention of two members of Congress in 2024 who wrote letters to the CEO condemning shrinkflation.

Other popular groceries have been hit by the shrinkflation tactic too, and although it exited before the pandemic, consumers are more aware of it now. Companies believe that consumers will pay more attention to the price on the outside of the box than the changing product size. Companies are banking that p;eople will be less upset if their favorite pack of cookies remains at a comfortable $3.59 with a sleeve less of product versus the same amount of product increasing to $4.59. Unfortunately, it looks like the only thing truly getting bigger these days is the illusion of a good deal.