Rant: Lucerne Yogurt – reduced size same price…wtf?

[JoB]

Bayou…

i understand the rationale.. but believe it to be a great example of short term thinking.

it works fine until the customer realizes they are getting less product than before and begins to feel deceived and cheated. then you lose customers to what may be an inferior and/or more costly brand.

i used the get less pay more slogan because the initial example was whipped yogurt.. and you pay more to have your yogurt whipped but you actually get less yogurt.. even though you may be getting equal volume. It takes a lot of air to whip yogurt:)

However, i have also seen instances recently where the identical product increased in price and reduced volume at the same time…

it only spurs my resolve to avoid packaging as much as i can so that i know exactly what i am getting when i buy… and in lieu of that to read and reread labels endlessly.

that decision comes at the cost of substantial inconvenience for me.. but i feel better about what i purchase. and what i consume.

not everyone will be making my choices…

my current pet peeve isn’t so much about prices, but about changing formulas without changing packaging to alert customers.

As i sit here typing i am itching because the one brand of detergent that i thought i could trust to keep me itch free has changed it’s formula once again.. without alerting me. I would curse them with the 7 year itch.. but i hope it won’t take me that long to find a new detergent.

in the meantime.. i will be offering the rejects to anyone who can use them… :)

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[beachdrivegirl]

I guess I dont understand how people would want this publicized…do you want the package to say same price; less volume? Its just not realistic.

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[Zenguy]

Off track but one of the posts above mentioned Greek yogurt. The new IGA downtown was offering samples of baklava ice cream made from the yogurt and all I can say is yum. I will be purchasing some soon.

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[JoB]

Zenguy…

i think i need to go to the IGA… my yoga maker is being mailed so it will be a while before i start making my own greek style yogurt. that ice cream sounds yummy.

Beachdrivegirl..

i would like the package to look different from the one i have been buying any time they change formula or size… if that means nothing more than noting “new” somewhere on the front.

and i would really like retailers to go back to pricing their inventory in a structured way… either shelf markers that are always there in a consistent spot or marking the product… or handing out scanners to every customer as they pass through the door…

my new rule is that if i have to work too hard to figure out how much it is.. i won’t buy it.

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[Bayou]

JoB, I completely get your point on the yogurt. It’s very similar to a co-worker’s complaint that his wife has gotten obsessed with the “foaming” handsoap from Bath & Body Works. He couldn’t see paying a higher price point for a product that is about 2% soap and 98% water.

RE: “it works fine until the customer realizes they are getting less product than before and begins to feel deceived and cheated. you lose customers to what may be an inferior and/or more costly brand.”

You risk losing customers either way- if the price goes up, many will reach for the store brand or forgo the purchase entirely (this is especially true for non-essentials).

Realistically, packaging should be changed if there is a formula change ESPECIALLY if it is something like detergent that so many of us (myself included) have to be careful about anyways. However, it’s not always realistic to change the packaging if the size is the only change, especially if it is part of a brand “family” that has a distinct identity.

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[Bayou]

The USA today article that CH noted sums it up pretty well…

“Driving forces behind the downsizing: Commodity costs are way up. Egg prices rose 44.9% from April 2007 through April 2008. Corn costs rose 69.5%. And wheat rose 96.9%. Energy prices also are up. So are packaging costs.

Typically, shoppers are asked to pay more, but these are not typical times. Raising prices when strapped consumers are price-sensitive can be a formula for disaster. That’s why there’s often less in the box instead.”

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