‘Shrinkflation’ in restaurant portions causing spike in diner complaints
A growing number of customers are grumbling online about receiving smaller portions while dining as so-called “shrinkflation” takes hold at struggling businesses, according to data from review site Yelp.
Restaurants and other businesses are down on serving sizes due to the onset of decades-high inflation. Yelp users have started to take notice of the trend, with reviews containing “inflationary language” up 28% in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the same period last year.
“We saw reviewers use inflation-related language at record levels, particularly in the dining, arts and entertainment and travel categories,” said Pria Mudan, data science leader at Yelp. “And for the first time, reviewers are describing shrinkflation-related experiences where the size or quantity of goods are noticeably smaller.”
Shrinkflation “is most referenced at restaurants serving more affordable fare,” Mudan added. Reviews mentioning inflation-related experiences jumped 38% year-over-year at casual restaurants, 36% at food businesses and 30% at nightlife businesses.
Restaurants serving popular, traditionally low-cost items such as hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza generated the most “shrinkflation”-related complaints, according to Yelp’s report. Customers also grumbled about serving sizes at seafood spots and restaurants serving Italian or Chinese food.
Inflation hit 9.1% in June, its fastest pace of increase since 1981, according to Consumer Price Index data. Food purchased away from home surged in price by 7.7% last month compared to the same month one year earlier, while overall food prices increased 10.4%.
The impact of inflation is being felt across the country, with 47 of the 50 US states indicating an increase in mentions of inflation on Yelp’s platform.
“Despite rising inflation, activity on Yelp suggests that consumer spending remains strong as people search for higher-priced businesses more frequently than prior to the pandemic,” Mudan added. “However, that doesn’t mean consumers and businesses aren’t feeling the pinch of inflation.”
The Post reported last month that many New York City restaurants were ditching pricier ingredients and shrinking portion sizes to avoid additional menu price hikes.
Corporate giants such as McDonald’s and Chipotle have hiked prices to offset higher expenses – particularly for expensive items such as chicken and beef. Others, such as Domino’s and Burger King, have cut down on portions for some popular items.
Shrinkflation has also impacted consumer goods. Kleenex has cut down on the number of tissues included in its tissue boxes, while Chobani Flips yogurts dropped from 5.3 ounces to 4.5 ounces per container.