The key facts

  • Shrinkflation is the reduction of the amount of a product while the price stays the same; the practice has become more frequent since the 2022 inflation surge.
  • According to a 2025 European Commission report, 74% of EU consumers noticed products getting smaller without a price reduction.
  • France, Austria and Romania require consumers to be warned; the European Commission is challenging Italian rules, while EuroCommerce considers existing legislation sufficient.

What shrinkflation is

Shrinkflation is the practice whereby manufacturers reduce the weight, volume or quantity of a product while keeping the price the same. As Loïc de Hoults, senior associate at the law firm CMS Belgium, explained, the buyer purchases the same product in the same packaging but gets less for the same money. The practice is not new, but it has become more common in Europe after the 2022 inflation surge. Examples: a French syrup producer in 2019 reduced bottle volume from 750 to 600 ml, and according to the group Foodwatch the price per litre rose by more than 37%; in Germany a brand reduced chocolate bars from 100 to 90 g, which in May 2026 led to a court ruling against the company; another brand in 2026 introduced 75 g bars instead of the usual 100 g.

Causes and scale

According to a 2025 European Commission report, 74% of consumers noticed that products are getting smaller without a price reduction. The reason is rising production costs. EuroCommerce Director-General, which represents European retailers and wholesalers, Christel Delberg explained that some manufacturers, instead of raising prices, reduce packaging and quantity. EuroCommerce Director for Competitiveness Lina Whittaker added that rising costs are generally passed along the chain: if energy, raw materials, production and processing become more expensive, prices rise. Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices in the EU rose by about 33% from 2021 to 2025.

How manufacturers shrink products

The methods vary: empty space in packaging, thicker materials, raised bottoms. The strategy exploits a psychological effect — a reduction of 5–7% may go unnoticed. Some companies advertise a 'new recipe' or 'improved quality' without drawing attention to the change in quantity. Consumers are advised to watch for changes in net weight, the number of items in multipacks, and to compare the price per kilogram or litre on price tags.

EU-level regulation and disputes

There is no specific EU law against shrinkflation: existing requirements are to indicate net quantity on packaging and the price per kilogram/litre on shelves, while the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive only prohibits 'misleading practices'. De Hoults believes these rules already provide protection: the Hamburg court found that reducing volume while keeping the packaging without properly informing the consumer was a misleading practice. At the same time, he acknowledged that buyers may not notice the reduction of a familiar product. On 15 July 2025, the European Parliament committee on the internal market and consumer protection held public hearings on shrinkflation and dynamic pricing; the European Commission stated that existing rules are sufficient and that national authorities should ensure their enforcement.

National measures and disagreements

In March 2025, the European Commission opened a procedure against Italy, which had introduced rules on warning labels for shrunken products: Brussels considered that this could create barriers to trade and proposed shelf notifications. Since July 2024, French supermarkets larger than 400 sq. m. are required to warn about product reduction when the price per kilogram or litre rises, showing the old and new weight and the price increase for two months, under threat of a fine of up to 15,000 euros. Austria introduced similar rules in April 2026 for large supermarkets and health and cosmetics stores — when the unit price rises by at least 3%. Romania introduced mandatory notifications in 2024; Belgium discussed similar legislation but did not adopt it. De Hoults warned that differing national rules complicate manufacturers' operations and advocated regulation at EU level. EuroCommerce, on the contrary, considers existing legislation sufficient: Delberg stated that an additional layer of regulation would not necessarily change the situation for consumers, but would add regulatory burden, costs, reporting and uncertainty for retailers.

Prices differ between countries

Competition between chains and negotiations with suppliers affect final prices. According to Eurostat data for 2024, food prices in France were 18% above the EU average, while in Belgium only 7%.