The Ice Cream Conspiracy

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OK, here's a new conspiracy for me to rant about.  Upon returning home after a nice, uneventful drive through southern Wyoming (which, by the way, is far prettier at night!), we stopped for groceries and I picked up some ice cream.  Something seemed wrong, however.  Either I had become an amazing specimen of muscular masculinity since previously purchasing ice cream or the ice cream container had gotten far smaller and easier to lift.  Sadly, it was the latter.

Notice exhibit A.  On the right is the ice cream I purchased a month or two ago.  It is 1.75 quarts (since a "half gallon" of ice cream is obviously 1.75 quarts and not 2.  Probably a previous conspiracy I somehow missed).  On the left is today's ice cream, on sale for $3 (so no cheaper), and now a lovely 1.5 quarts.  Looks smaller than that to me, so I'm sure the conspiracy goes even deeper.  I might have to Call 7 for Help on this one.  It's so heinous!  

Sad proof that, in addition to the price of practically everything we buy going up way faster than wages, the size we get continues to go down.  Now my only consolation is that the size of our waste lines will not suffer and will surely continue to increase as well.  At least there is some justice in it all! :-)

And so to my friends at Dreyer's, thanks for caving in and joining ever-more-clever club of US marketing geniuses.  Good thing consumers are too stupid to notice!  You know most people will simply respond by buying two containers now.  Next thing we know, Dreyer's will be adopting the Ikea model that Shane recently uncovered and we'll be buying a small container with only the ingredients and little pictographs showing how we can "assemble" the ice cream ourselves.  
I like to share what I learn, and I like to learn from others.

Comments

Sam said…
Check out the consumerist's coverage of this phenomenon called the grocery shrink ray (consumerist is my favorite consumer complaint blog)

http://consumerist.com/tag/grocery-shrink-ray/
August 14, 2008 at 9:55 PM
TJ said…
I think that's precisely why the rising fuel prices aren't really affecting our grocery bills that much, because the 'portions' are coming down. I've noticed that my favorite restaurants are reducing their portions. I think there's some good in this, I mean as a country aren't we getting obese?
August 14, 2008 at 9:58 PM
Carli said…
I noticed this too this week! I appreciated your journalist integrity for reporting such horrible problem that hits all to close to home.
August 15, 2008 at 10:37 AM
Mia said…
Do you get Blue Bell out there? Their commercials say something to the effect of where a half gallon is still a half gallon.
August 20, 2008 at 8:55 PM
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