Sunday, November 28, 2010

Paging Paul Krugman 13: A Smokey Stealth Price Increase

Hi Paul,

I know a "smokey stealth price increase" is a mouthful, but this report, from a commenter below, needs your diligent mathematical prowess, to explain to us why a shrinkage in the package size is not a stealth price increase, as it would seem to be, but rather full blown deflation:
I bought a pack of "little smokey," sausages at Wal Mart a few days ago. I noticed the pack was no longer 16 ounces as it had been just a few weeks ago. It is now a 14 ounce pack!

2 comments:

  1. I noticed that Jarritos sodas quietly lowered their sodas from 13.5 ounces to 12.5 ounces per bottle. Side by side, the bottles look the same. I wonder how many people will notice.

    By the way, the best sodas all come from Mexico, including Coke and Pepsi, and are made with cane sugar and sold in glass bottles! Were it not for absurd and immoral corn subsidies and sugar tariffs, we might have those sodas even cheaper in these United States.

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  2. Have you also noticed that, formerly, 6oz. tuna cans are now only 5oz.?

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