Democrats' 'Shrinkflation' Bill Would Crack Down On Practice At Grocery Stores

Have you recently noticed fewer potato chips in your bag, or a little less toilet paper on your roll? Democrats in Congress have noticed, too.

A handful of senators introduced a new bill Wednesday meant to crack down on “shrinkflation.” That’s when companies reduce the amount of product in a package but keep the price the same as a way to juice profit margins.

Although it’s an age-old practice, this downsizing has gotten a lot of attention recently amid a period of higher-than-usual grocery prices . Democrats, including President Joe Biden, say that shrinkflation has gotten out of hand and the companies are ripping people off.

“While you were Super Bowl shopping, did you notice smaller-than-usual products where the price stays the same?” the president asked earlier this month on X, formerly Twitter. “I’m calling on the big consumer brands to put a stop to it.”

With voters tired of elevated grocery prices, shrinkflation looked like something Democrats might just yell and pound their fists about in an election year. After all, there is a subreddit page with more than 100,000 members who angrily post before-and-after photos of dwindling cereal boxes and toilet paper rolls.

But Sen. Bob Casey (Pa.) and other lawmakers say they now want to target the practice through the Federal Trade Commission, the independent agency that enforces civil antitrust law.

The legislation would direct the FTC to develop regulations classifying shrinkflation as an unfair or deceptive trade practice. It would also give the FTC and state attorneys general the green light to pursue civil actions and fines against companies that engage in it.

Casey said in a statement that families are “sick and tired” of the practice.

“Corporations are