---
title: "Giving shrinkflation a label in Hargapedia"
description: "Hargapedia now marks products that have reduced in size with a small animated label on the product page."
url: "https://rayson.me/writing/hargapedia-shrinkflation/"
category: "Design"
author: "Janarayson"
published: 2023-11-01
---

We've spent years collecting grocery prices for Hargapedia. Open a product and you can compare what different shops charge, or check today's price against the lowest, usual and highest prices we've recorded.

The amount you're buying can change too. Take S-26 Promise Gold Milk Powder 4. The 1.65kg pack shown below is one of the products we track that has reduced in size.

When a product gets smaller while its price stays the same, that's [shrinkflation](https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/articles/theimpactofshrinkflationoncpihuk/howmanyofourproductsaregettingsmaller). If you're looking only at the price, it's easy to miss.

We've added a red SHRINKFLATION label to Hargapedia for products that have reduced in size. It appears at the top of the product page, where you're checking prices.

<Figure
  src={card}
  alt="A white Hargapedia product card with a red SHRINKFLATION ribbon above its top edge, a photo of S-26 Promise Gold milk powder and the name S-26 Promise Gold Milk Powder 4 1.65kg"
/>

I put the label just above the product photo, along the top edge of the card. That keeps it clear of the name, which already shares a row with ratings and nutrition information. I also made the ribbon squeeze inwards and open back out, so the label itself shrinks.

<ShrinkflationRibbon />

We also have a comic about this, by Mokumentary.

<Figure
  src={comic1}
  alt="Mokumentary comic, part 1 of 4: a woman opens a snack packet and wonders whether snacks are getting smaller or she is getting bigger"
/>

<Figure
  src={comic2}
  alt="Mokumentary comic, part 2 of 4: a man in a blue suit interrupts the woman and explains that her things are getting smaller because of shrinkflation"
/>

<Figure
  src={comic3}
  alt="Mokumentary comic, part 3 of 4: an explanation of shrinkflation with illustrated detergent, milk powder and shampoo packs labelled with smaller quantities; the detergent percentage printed in the artwork is incorrect"
/>

<Figure
  src={comic4}
  alt="Mokumentary comic, part 4 of 4: the man recommends Hargapedia for comparing prices, deals and vouchers, then shrinks out of his blue suit, leaving the woman staring at him"
/>