Chocolate, juice and soap: see products that have become more expensive, but reduced in size | Economy

The movement that reflects this perception has a name: reflation — which is the maintenance or even an increase in prices on the shelves, even in the face of a cut in the size of products by manufacturers.

In the accumulated result for the first eight months of 2023, for example, washing powder was the item sold in supermarkets that suffered the most reduction compared to the period from January to August last year. During the period, the size of the product decreased by almost 10% (from around 1.1 kg to 1kg), while the price went from R$15.31 to R$19.18.

Then came the chocolate, which ranked second among the most impacted items. In the same reference window, the product decreased from 167.6 grams to 143.7 grams, while the price went from R$15.85 to R$16.78.

All values ​​are included in the survey carried out by Horus consultancy and granted exclusively to the g1. The 30 main categories of products present in the consumer’s shopping cart were analyzed.

See below the items most affected by the reduction:

Why do companies do this?

According to experts, there are two main reasons for companies to practice reduffling: possible increases in the prices of fuels — which, in turn, impact product transportation costs — and seasonal issues.

In relation to fuels, for example, professor at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) Ulysses Reis, states that companies constantly need to find outputs to reduce impact of gasoline and diesel prices.

This is because the more expensive the fuel is, the more the company needs to allocate resources to transport products and the lower its profit tends to be. If a year ago a company spent R$1,000 on this process, for example, it currently needs to spend approximately R$1,205 — around 21% more.

In these cases, the solution found by companies, according to the expert, is to pass on the values ​​in the final price of the products. (see below the average price of fuel at gas stations in one year).

Regarding seasonal issues, Josilmar Cordenonssi, professor of economics at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, states that the climate can affect the production of several items.

An example is the wheat crops in Rio Grande do Sul, which lost productive potential after the storms recorded in early September. As the region accounts for around 90% of Brazil’s wheat harvest, this could harm cookie makers — fourth item that suffered the most reduction, according to the Horus survey.

Therefore, companies need to find ways to reduce the impacts on cash amid rising commodity prices. And, according to experts, reduction is once again the chosen solution since, in practice, products tend to continue with the same selling price, while companies produce smaller items.

In an interview with the BBC, Cammy Crolic, a professor at the University of Oxford, stated that this is the great idea for customers to not stop consuming. She says that the The population tends to worry more about the impact of the price of purchases than the quantity.

What is the consumer’s right?

According to experts, consumers who feel affected by the reduction should look for Procon. This is because, legally, companies need to inform if there have been changes to the weight of a product.

“This information must appear in the product title, prominently and clearly”, says Procon. Suppliers who fail to comply with the rules may be fined.

On September 11, the supermarket Carrefour, for example, announced that it would place in establishments located in France a sticker on products that have undergone reduction. O g1 contacted the company to find out if the same will be done in Brazil, but had no response until the report was published.

Ordinance No. 392/2021, from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security of Brazil, provides for the obligation to inform the consumer regarding the occurrence of a quantitative change in a packaged product. Among the main points, the statement needs to be:

• in capital letters;
• bold;
• and in a color that matches the background.

“The objective is to make the statement about the quantitative change of the product more effective, in order to ensure that the information is actually perceived by consumers. In this sense, the supplier must clearly, adequately and conspicuously provide all information about the price and characteristics of the product”, the ministry said in a note.

The FGV professor also says that the practice of reduffling is not limited to just reducing the size of the product. “Companies changing manufacturing items, such as chocolate being made chocolatey, or changing milk for dairy products also fits into this situation.”

In addition to Carrefour, the g1 also contacted other supermarket chains to find out if there had been reductions in product shelves, but had not received any feedback until publication. The main food product manufacturers were also approached, but did not take a position.

Impact on the consumer’s pocket

For Anna Carolina, head of consumer insights at Horus, reduction is not advantageous for the consumer, since, in many casesit can lead you to increase your trips to the supermarket when faced with the need to replace a product that has run out faster.

“In the past, I went to the market twice a month. Today, I go about four to five times, to replace the cut in weight that the products had. Furthermore, I spent R$700 [mensais]and today my food expenses are almost double”, says carpenter Gimenes.

Therefore, for the economics professor at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, consumers should pay attention to reduction, as this strategy will not disappear anytime soon.

“The effect will only change when the consumer realizes this trick. Until this happens, the customer will continue to be deceived”, he says.