Same snack price, but the bag feels lighter

When costs rise, a company has two main options. It can raise the price, or keep the price and sell less. Shoppers notice the number on a price tag, but few spot a bag going from 90 g to 85 g.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics counts this change in inflation. If a 64-ounce tub of ice cream becomes 60 ounces at the same price, it records a 6.7% rise in the price per ounce. The total at the register is the same, but for your wallet the price went up.

A common mix-up is thinking a puffy bag is itself the trick. The gas in snack bags is usually nitrogen. It pushes out oxygen so the oil goes stale and the chips go soft more slowly, and it is meant to keep chips from breaking in transit.

Korea also caps that empty space. Under Ministry of Environment rules, a gas-filled snack bag may not be more than 35% empty space. So the weight printed on the back tells you more than the size of the bag.

Since August 3, 2024, makers of 119 everyday items in Korea, such as milk, instant noodles, snacks and shampoo, must announce a size cut for at least three months on the package, their website or where it is sold. Before that, there was no specific duty to do so. Skipping that brings a fine.

There are exceptions: if the price drops too so the unit price stays the same, or the cut is 5% or less, no notice is needed. So small changes can still slip by quietly.

The easiest check is the unit price. Price labels at large supermarkets show a small price per 100 g or per item. Use it to compare a big bag with a small one, or a buy-one-get-one bundle, and the cheaper option is clear right away.

For snacks you buy often, it also helps to remember the last weight. The Korea Consumer Agency lists downsized products on its Price Info site and takes shrinkflation reports.