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Counterpoint - the two major Australian supermarkets both sell in-store “finished” cookies that are like crack. They’re delicious. They come in a pack of 5 for $3.50 but 5 is way too much. I’d gladly pay $1 each for them as a snack while I’m shopping

There are occasions where shrinkflation does make sense. In the Mars case, I’d say there is consumer demand on the health side as well. Yes, a Mars bar is never “healthy” but 40g is less worse than 60g

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I suspect shrinkflation happens because, when prices go up, consumers will prefer to buy a similarly priced (but smaller) candy bar rather than a higher priced, same size bar; that is, consumers prefer shrinkflation to price inflation, even if they are the same rise in price-per-gram
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Prefer is a strong word. People are more likely to be fooled by shrinkflation than inflation. If they noticed they'd be just as unhappy.
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Why not simultaneously shrink at the rate the market will bear AND increase the price to what the market will bear AND decrease the cocoa to what the market will bear
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People are missing the commentary that this is exactly what happened…
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Well… for one, your competitors would have an instant marketable advantage over you.

What “the market will bear” isn’t what you think it is. Mars and Hersey and … idk is there another candy company?… don’t meet in a smoke filled room figuring how best to make you poor and fat. “What the market will bear” in a free market much more means what you can offer as a value before you introduce a opportunity more competition or an alternative to your product.

If your industry does meet in a smoke filled room, that is neither capitalism nor a free market.

I suggest everyone read Sowell’s Basic Economics at least once as an adult.

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To be fair, some customers may prefer portions that are less unhealthy.
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Agreed, but then shrink the price too
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If you care about health you won't eat a mars bar.

In fact even if you care about taste you wouldn't. It's nothing but a tasteless processed sugar bar. I didn't even like them as a kid.

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Health isn't a 'perfect or your unhealthy' it's much more of a 'Make the better option, most of the time' in which, similar to the original comment, I am quite happy that the chocolate I can have a treat with has less calories but feels identical in levels of being a treat.

I'd pay the same for chocolate bars that were half the size if they were easily available.

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They are, they're called minis :) https://www.piccantino.com/mars/classic-minis

But if you want to indulge, there's a lot much much nicer quality treats than a mars bar, that's what I meant. That might be better for you but also a lot tastier.

But tastes differ of course. I love sweets and snacks and I eat too many but I never like the American ones so much. We have a shop nearby that sells American sweets but they are all so heavy on the sugar. Chocolates are too sugary, You can't really taste anything else. And things like nerds have this really strong artificial flavour. But that's personal of course and also what I grew up with.

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Absolutely not true.

Easy comparison: I prefer to buy the mini 8oz coke cans over 12oz. I drink a can every once in a while because I just want a taste. Smaller cans lead to me consuming less.

> In fact even if you care about taste you wouldn't.

So clearly your argument is really about... the quality of mass produced candy bars? And you're proposing that others just don't have functioning tastebuds?

Honestly I'm not sure what the point of your comment was other than for you to be negative. It is possible for others to have opinions that do not align with your own.

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You should not be getting down voted. HN isn't Reddit. Down votes are for comments not contributing to conversation. This is a valid point.

I will say it, candy bars are garbage and should by no means be ingested.

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Well disrespecting someone because of their cravings is indeed not contributing to the conversation. It's fine to ingest garbage once in a while. If you can make it less that's still better.
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Your comment about downvoting is not correct. There is no 'official' stance but there is a comment from pg in 2008: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=117171

> I think it's ok to use the up and down arrows to express agreement. Obviously the uparrows aren't only for applauding politeness, so it seems reasonable that the downarrows aren't only for booing rudeness.

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It is consumer demand if consumers stop buying the 62.5g bar because prices had to be increased for them to make a profit. If they instead keep the price while lowering the weight and consumers keeps buying how can you say that there was no demand?
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> consumer demand

"My Steak Is Too Juicy, My Lobster Is Too Buttery" vibes

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Yeah he misspelled "shareholder demand"
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