New and Improved?

**SueBee49** · 09-11-2012, 07:26 PM

On ABC news tonight...a segment on how manufacturers are reducing weights/amounts on items, selling for the same price, and advertising as "New and Improved." Examples I recall: 1) Bounty paper towels are now 4 feet shorter in length, Maxwell House Coffee was 270 cups, now 240, and 3) Kleenex (I think) tissues are now 12 tissues short in box.

This isn't necessarily something new as I recall when sugar went from 5 lbs to 4 lbs and mayo from 32 oz to 30 oz, but looks like a new crop of "new and improved" products are showing up.

**Libby** · 09-11-2012, 08:03 PM

In a way the marketing isn't 'lying'. The product is probably new by having smaller sizing/packaging and improved b/c the packaging is 'eco' also with ingredient changes and/or label changes thus conforming to the new FDA regulations.

Do I feel more ripped off b/c of this - you bet I do.

**frugalwarrior2** · 09-11-2012, 08:10 PM

first we pumped our own gas
then we paid for garbage service
now we put our own pop bottles in the machine
also things are concentrated so we can add our own water

So less weight and less product surely follows
Buyer beware.

**CookieLee** · 09-11-2012, 08:49 PM

A "pound" of coffee used to be a real pound - all 16 oz of it. Then it got reduced to 14 oz and then 12 oz. A month ago I discovered that a large brand name coffee manufacturer is now selling 11.5 oz containers.

Want to see shrinkage? Look at ice cream. A standard package used to be two whole quarts - not anymore!

**SueBee49** · 09-11-2012, 09:17 PM

Libby, you're right. On the news report they made the point of saying there are no regulations for "new and improved" so basically anything goes.

And frugalwarrior2, what really riles me sometimes is that we take our groceries out of the cart, put them on the belt, and in many places, scan them ourselves (with scanners that drive me nuts), bag our groceries, put groceries back in cart, push said cart to car, unload, push cart around to find the cart stands...and pay higher and higher prices. Almost as if we are working for THEM to buy their products that have lesser quantities! Somehow this picture never makes much sense to me.

**Spirit Deer** · 09-11-2012, 09:20 PM

Every time I hear that phrase 'new and improved', I think of a line from the comedy All in the Family when Mike Stivik was on a rant about 'new and improved; and asked the rhetorical question, "what were we getting before, old and lousy?"

It does make one wonder...

**frugalwarrior2** · 09-11-2012, 09:25 PM

suebee-you made me laugh. I shop at Aldis. I pay .25 to go get the cart myself. and get the groceries,bring MY bags,shop out of the boxes the stock came in,bag it myself,put the cart back and feel like I saved! Or if I forgot my bags I can pay.10 ea. for them.

And i almost always self scan at Krogers as the kids are horsing around and crush 1/2 the stuff.

**frugalwarrior2** · 09-11-2012, 09:27 PM

SD-I loved that show-sorta. yous see dad was Archie and mom was Edith.
(Archie-how does the water know if its terlet water or kitchen water?)

**SueBee49** · 09-11-2012, 09:38 PM

And SD made me laugh..."old and lousy." LOL

**Spirit Deer** · 09-11-2012, 09:41 PM

Our minister accused my dad of being Archie Bunker the night Dad died. We were too stunned to say anything, which was just as well since that minister thought he was better than us and had been known to get pretty vicious from the pulpit during funerals of people he did not like or people who made him mad. Is it any wonder I have permanently been turned off of church?

Dad had his faults but he was NOT Archie Bunker.

**Spirit Deer** · 09-11-2012, 09:42 PM

That cracked me up too, SueBee. It made perfect sense at the time.

**Spirit Deer** · 09-11-2012, 09:45 PM

I'd rather pack my own groceries. I use canvas bags and the baggers don't know how to pack them. They put in about three little things and call it good enough. I have bags that hold three gallon jugs of milk and that's what's supposed to go in them. They never want to bag the milk and heavy stuff, which we prefer to be bagged. If I want to put two ten pound bags of flour in one bag, what's it to them?

**frugalfranny** · 09-15-2012, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by SueBee49

3) Kleenex (I think) tissues are now 12 tissues short in box.
.

Must have been a while since you bought tissues........and I do buy them--with allergies, I won't go w/o.....but buy any on sale. My stockpile USED to have the boxes that had 270 tissues in them..........have since gone through those-almost.........and now if you can find 200 in a box it is fantastic..........but the price ISN'T so fantastic. This post sent me checking my stock pile...........found one w/260.........better treasure that box!!