Giving shrinkflation a label in Hargapedia

1 Nov 2023Design2 min read

Hargapedia now marks products that have reduced in size with a small animated label on the product page.

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. 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.

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.

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We also have a comic about this, by Mokumentary.

Mokumentary comic, part 1 of 4: a woman opens a snack packet and wonders whether snacks are getting smaller or she is getting bigger

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

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

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