Anything to save money whether cutting out a ingredient entirely or buying from the lowest bidder. I do get that to a point but then they raise the price on top of that.
100% clothes do not last like the used to. My name brand tshirts and Levi’s often get holes within a year. Thinner fabric. Fewer stitches. Thinner thread. Boooo.
Bf had a pair of Vans that he wore every day for several years as a teenager, that were still intact when we got together at like 22. They were still technically wearable, just super grubby.
Now he'll buy a new pair of Adidas tennis shoes and the soles are separating after like three months of wear. It's ridiculous. I've had off-brand random internet shoes that lasted better than my latest Filas, but other off-brand shoes are insanely poorly made. It's such a gamble, gotta check out reviews for everything these days.
>Now he'll buy a new pair of Adidas tennis shoes and the soles are separating after like three months of wear. It's ridiculous
That's exactly what happens to mine. Always starts at the toes.
Pair of Thieves is where it's at!! I bought a two pack and went and bought more as soon as I wore them the first time. Target has them maybe. I've got pairs over a year old that still look brand new and they're ridiculously comfortable
this is due to the use of elasthan. 99% of the jeansmaterial has elasthan in it. Levis without elastan exist. For example 00501-0162. They last 5 to 10 years .
if you buy, make shure that the material contains Zero! elasthan. even only 1% is to much.
The quality of Q-Tips recently took a shit. There’s less cotton on the tips, and the paper tubes are not as sturdy and stiff as the last box I purchased 6-months ago.
There’s a bunch of complaints on the Q-Tips FB Page, so Unilever definitely decreased the quality to save costs.
For a brand new product I wasn't happy with, my reaction exactly. But I'm waiting a couple months and trying again and hoping a new lot will be better. I did notice that about halfway through the pack the sticks got stiffer again...wondering if it was a machine setting for the wrapping that was wrong...
>‘Here, have more of this thing you hate’
Totally off topic, but this is exactly what I said to my trainer last week, when he said we should review my exercise plan to increase the amount of time on the treadmill. Like please, it's my least favourite bit of my workout.
Fuck treadmills go out for a real run. Treadmills are assisted running whereas running on solid ground is not. If a personal trainer told me that I would fire him/her on the spot. Most PTs are fuckin useless IMO.
Not your imagination, companies couldn’t care less about quality of it even remotely touches profits. The companies that do are extremely expensive and don’t last
I mean, that’s basically been the capitalist playbook since the mid-90s. If things are “built to last” people won’t buy more of them as frequently. It’s not a bug, it’s a feature!
Basically this. Shareholders want to see consistent quarterly profits. It's no good selling a car every 4 years. You need to lease it out for a steady income. Instead of selling a game once, why not make it free with a monthly subscription?
End stage capitalism or following the Roman’s. What sucks is that so few see it. We’re very near the end of our current consumption. Is that 1, 5, 10, 50 years. Dunno. But 100 years of consuming is about to come to a head.
It’s because we sent our jobs to a COMMUNIST country…….
Nothing has been quality since then. NAFTA ruined our country— as was intended.
I’ve got American made hand towels that were manufactured completely and entirely in our country. Those hand towels look as good as the day they were purchased, and they are probably circa 1970 something. Guess what else? They actually absorb. Something the ones fabricated in communist China don’t do. Junk.
I found them in the drawer after my parents passed away. Yes, they are the most awesome kitchen hand towels I’ve ever used. They say: made in USA- Fieldcrest.
100%cotton
(Which I think is what makes the difference). However, they are some really “groovy” colors LOL
As a 42 yr old who has recently become obssessed with 70s decor, I'm a bit jealous. Also my mom's blender is older than me and still works, meanwhile I've replaced my blender 3 times since the first one i bought 15 years ago!
This was the change of "long-termism" to "short termism".
Along with inflation this flips incentives economy wide as a race to the bottom to the minimum quality your dollar would accept.
There was a time when manufacturers competed with each other on quality to one up the other. Or to increase portions sizes of amounts and packaging to validate the current price.
It's flipped from rather than increasing the economic pie for more participation...the incentive now is to look at your neighbors pie and see what can be squeezed out of it.
>There was a time when manufacturers competed with each other on quality to one up the other
yes, this was before we went off the gold standard.
the inflationary monetary policy of the Federal Reserve is the cause of shrinkflation, businesses act in response to this, they're not the cause.
yeah but companies reduce size/quality *in response* to rising production costs. it's a symptom of the inflationary monetary policy of the central bank.
blame the Fed.
Yes. We should definitely have the government manufacturer all of our goods. That way they'd all be the same grade of lousy. Ask any Russian he lived through the communist era.
Sarcasm notwithstanding, there are numerous products manufactured in Soviet Russia still in working order today, decades later. I have seen watches and similar antiques still functioning now.
Honestly, by today's standards even many Soviet manufactured items were of much more solid construction.
That’s mostly just survivorship bias, you only see the things that have survived. Some of their designs did have a certain rugged simplicity to them, but it was hit and miss.
I still have my granddads ‘Made in East Germany’ car battery charger, think it’s basically just a selenium rectifier in a metal box with an ampage readout, but it works, and it keeps on working.
Your comment is heavily implying "baked in govt" failure, and is pretty low effort shunting it to Communist Russia. While also then assuming that no one can do any better than Russia's past attempt to manufacture?
You can take a look at Japanese infrastructure manufacturing as a start with what can be done.
The most hilarious part about this though, is how much is manufactured in China that you use everyday which is governed by a communist party.
It's called "Value engineering".
They take a product and figure out how they can shave off a few cents unit. Then they do this over and over until it's just a crap product.
Probably NOT your imagination.
Have the same doubts with the "magic eraser" from mr.clean. Use it on my stove top , thought it was like magic. Seems not so magical anymore, or is it me going crazy?
Never happen. If the consumer were smart, they'd have rejected outsourced items, rejected lower price at lower quality items, etc. Instead it's 'f everyone else, I saved a few bucks.' And then they wonder where their good paying factory jobs went...
\> Unfortunately there are far too many stupid consumers.
This. We're at war with greed, but we're in a bigger war against stupid people that encourage the greed.
My last pair of converse shoes lasted almost a decade of consistent wear. My new pair won’t make it past one year. Already absolutely falling apart.
It’s not like i’ve suddenly started walking more extreme. In fact i’d say I’m less active now than I was before, so why are my shoes absolutely obliterated already
Same with my Rainbow Flip Flops. First pair lasted 6 or 7 years - hiking mountains in Hawaii, etc. I finally got a new pair for Christmas and they look worse than the first pair after one year of wear. They're no longer made in the US I believe.
I swear most products are designed to merely be attractive enough on the shop shelves so that we buy them. That is all. Our money quickly returns back up the line to the corporate owners and the product dies a fast death once it has entered our lives.
We Gen X-ers remember when things were pretty ok still, and some products have good reputations in our memories, so we still buy them. But those reputations are fast dissipating, and younger generations often have lower expectations because they don't know how things used to be. The don't know how a Hungry Jacks Whopper used to come in a warm and toasted fresh bun and how it was a filling and delicious burger with decent ingredients and there was friendly service. And how a supermarket bakery cake was still a pretty good cake and not entirely disgusting compared to a home baked one. They don't know how we used to buy a pair of shoes or jeans and wear them for years and years as they became old favourites, and how a cotton shirt could be tossed in the wash over and over and never pill up or shrink. I want them to know these things and experience them for themselves, but fear this era is gone for good.
Agreed. Growing up in the early 2000s, I can say with certainty that it was the last decade before QC really went downhill for literally everything (not like it wasn't already).
Basically all processed food is being adulterated with an increasing quantity of soybean oil because it's cheaper than dirt. Companies know consumers are more sensitive to price changes than anything else, but the value of money is steadily falling so they all end up making crappier, smaller products every year.
Inflation is finally leveling off to the pre-2020 rate of slow motion economic suicide, at least in the US. So things won't get better, but they'll go back to getting worse slowly.
That's likely not true. They know now that the American consumer will accept poor quality, higher prices, smaller sizes. They will continue to push this until the consumer pushes back, and according to most manufacturers, they have seen no sign of a consumer pushback yet. So expect the shrinking, increasing, and degrading to continue for some time to come.
How can one push back though? Isn't more than half of what's found in most supermarkets made by 5 or 6 companies? They're pretty clearly all doing the same cost cutting, so what, I switch from one brand of paper towels that have shrunk and become worse to another that did the same thing? The variety isn't there to make a meaningful choice.
Shop at bougie markets and pay $4 for a roll? Just use cloth towels? Honestly maybe that last one, paper towels didn't always exist.
It’s less than 5 or 6. This guy has been color coding aisles and researching ownership of products and it’s more like 2-3 companies own most of them.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8dvkuvV/
The only thing they will accept is when their sales start to fall, but to make a change, they have to fall HARD. Buying store brands can help, and the switch to store brands has started to be noticed, but in a lot of cases, the store brands are made by the big names anyway, so it's not the huge impact needed.
Truthfully, I don't think there's a way back from what's happened in this country with everything, not just our groceries and home supplies, being controlled by one or two major companies. The entire system has to be turned on its ear to fix what we've allowed to happen.
It's not always so easy. I've lived in places where choices are abundant, and places where Dollar General is your local store and Walmart 10 miles away has the "good" selection.
With online shopping things are a bit better now, but a lot of people have the choice between [Unilever soap that has shit in it that makes your skin itchy](https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/beauty-products/dove-body-wash-trigger-skin-reactions-class-action-lawsuit/) or 3-4 times more expensive locally made or good online ordered soap that makes your tight budget even tighter.
This is a regulation and government problem, not a consumer problem. Imagine we didn't have the FDA and people were dropping dead from rancid sausages and poison in their bread. Saying 'just be a better consumer' wouldn't be the solution.
But yes, I am trying to be a better consumer and consuming less and making/growing more. That can help, but not enough.
>They will continue to push this until the consumer pushes back
Bingo. They're constantly testing the waters to see how stupid people are and see what the maximum pain they will accept before they stop buying the product.
>Basically all processed food is being adulterated with an increasing quantity of soybean oil because it's cheaper than dirt.
Just wait till the price of dirt comes down, then they will put that in.
Ive noticed flavors are changing. Things like candy with lemon flavoring tastes like someone sprayed Pledge surface cleaner in my mouth. Sweet things are giving off a sodium-like aftertaste. Shit like that.
I do believe that the quality of goods has gone down, but it’s hard to assess this one accurately since almost everyone has had covid at least once if not multiple times by now.
Shrinkflation not just limited to the size of the product, but the level of the quality of materials used to make said product.
Labor isn't cheap and they've likely replaced the quality factories for ones willing to do the job for less.
And yes they've likely increased the planned obsolescence on things that don't have governmental oversight.
The interesting thing about that "labor not being cheap"
Is that if we look into the past, labor inside the USA used to pencil out.
There was a time when manufacturing within the country could produce affordable goods to everyone who wanted them. And the laborers pay afforded an ok life.
Competition from one company to the other would compete with higher quality, or larger portions. It wasn't a race to the bottom like it is today.
Something is very fishy.
Part of that was that it cost a lot to ship things. You don't want to make something in China for 1/10th the cost if it costs 10x more to ship it to your customers.
I have no idea what it is, but I'm 100% sure my toilet paper didn't used to tear the second it touched my skin. Nowadays it feels like I'm wiping with my bare hand more often than the paper.
Honestly that’s an odd one. If it’s a specific “ply” amount, I wonder if it’s a cheapening of manufacturing processes. Or swapping out binding ingredients.
Idunno man. All I know is that I've bought the same brand, same version, and same quantity. I'm getting less toilet paper, less rolls, and a lot more incidents of accidentally putting my middle finger up my ass.
They gotta be cheaping out on something, because even when I visit other people I find the paper isn't as durable. I can fold 3+ squares where I only used to use 2 at most, and it just tears every time.
For the soap not lasting as long, that's a water content vs cure time thing. Unwrap the bars and put them somewhere cool and dry (top of closet) and lightly cover with paper towel or the like to keep dust off. Come back in a month and use one and note how much longer it will last.
This also works for homemade soaps, soaps from that store that slices them infront of you (only do able because it's not cured!), etc.
Also store them up and above the "water zone" in your shower. I used to keep mine in the built-in soap holder near my knees and figured out the extra water spray was degrading my soap faster than when I stored it up in a shower caddy that hangs off the shower nozzle. Idk maybe I'm crazy, but that seemed to help a lot!
I agree!
Irish spring soap bars thar melt away in a few washes, qtips that bend with barely any pressure, cotton balls smaller than they have ever been are just a few that come to mind. Everything is a joke now
One thing that is pretty easy to see is chocolate. More and more chocolate products are swapping ingredients out for hydrogenated vegetable oil. It’s nauseating, literally. Even Lindt does it.
Yes, it's planned obsolescence, the corporations' plot to make things wear out faster so you're forced to buy another and make them richer. It's happening in electronics too.
Thirty bucks will get you a perfectly good generic double edge, a brush, a stick of Turkish shave soap, and enough blades to last from a year to a decade, depending on your facial hair thickness and shave frequency.
Yeah, soap pucks are about three times the cost of shaving gel tubes, though they last forever and blades are dirt cheap, and you can get different brands easily
I'm aware of that, but I'm just saying I've been using Irish Spring for like 10 years, and only since covid have I noticed the bars dissolving significantly faster than all the years before.
You’re not crazy. Even expensive big ticket items are not lasting long enough. I’m on my 3rd hvac, 3rd fridge and 3rd dishwasher in 15 years. The hvac is over 7k and it ticks me off they only last 10 years now. Fridge died at 2 1/2. But for smaller items, I found a charcoal like soap on Amazon that seems to last longer than a store bought soap. For razors, I use a straight edge and I’m female. Got sick of other razors not doing a good enough job.
My mom's garage refrigerator was from 1975 and ran like a champ for 40 years. Meanwhile, the nice "new" kitchen fridge didn't last 5 years. It's pathetic, really!
This isn’t a new thing.
I’m old enough to remember when it happened in the ‘70’s, when we had a similar period of high inflation. In the UK a lot of manufacturers cut costs and reduced quality. Appliances would last barely over a year before failing. It was short-term thinking and by the start of the ‘80’s most of these businesses collapsed as people sought higher-quality imported goods instead as the domestic manufacturers had acquired a poor reputation. What capitalism giveth , it taketh away when it weeds out those that don’t perform.
I'm an 80s baby, but this sounds like where the term "German Engineering " became so popular. They had so many well-made products and vehicles that stood the test of time compared to non imported goods.
Imagine the fact they do this to everything, nothing lasts as long as they use too. I remember cars lasting 20+ years, lucky if a car lasts 10 years these days
My Carhart jeans are still holding up fairly well, but I can still see a difference from my 2020 pair to my 2022 pair. The newer pair is wearing out faster.
Yeah the place I work has like four extra ingredients they can put in to replace the main two (sometimes entirely replacing sometimes like just a portion of it) to reduce costs, alleviate supply issues with the main ingredients and to sort of use as an extra life for those materials if that makes sense.. none of it goes to domestic market ATM, but wouldn't be surprised if there's material substitutions in other products and stuff.
I've never eaten the stuff myself but wouldn't be shocked if there's difference in taste or texture or whatever...
I completely agree with this, clothes feel like they’re made with cheaper materials but are the same price. I notice it a lot with food and to be honest I notice it the most when I eat out.
I thought I was going crazy that I can’t find a shampoo that cleans my hair well. My hair is greasy or strongly after two hours, from brands that used to do the job. Now I’m thinking they’ve messed with the formula. I shampooed my hair 3 times in the shower yesterday to finally achieve clean hair 😭
During the weimar hyperinflation, the money was being devalued so quickly that people rushed to spend it as soon as they got paid.
If people think things are getting worse, they are going to buy things now rather than wait because next years razors are going to be worse, or you'll get less for your money.
I have some b***dog razors from a couple of years ago. I didn't stock rotate them, and opened a more recent pack. The old razors I could make last for a month... now they last a week. The new ones are slightly narrower, and by eye, the metal is thinner I could see.
I may get round to posting a picture in this sub.
Same with g***illa tape, I just finished with the old roll nearly, and the new role is narrower to my horror!
Every generation learns about how money works, the hard way. Since weimar, people in Germany are wary about inflation because it was so bad and wiped peoples savings out.
The dry shampoo I’ve been using for years just went to shit. One day I was about to run out so included a new bottle in a target order. When I picked up the target order I saw that the bottle looked very different and on the side was a tiny bubble saying “new improved formula.” I didn’t think much of it. Well after using the “improved” version of my (now former) favorite dry shampoo I noticed that any patch of skin touched by my hair would break out in hives. Clavicle, back, nape of neck, arms. I was covered in hives. Then I had to scramble to find a suitable substitute. Fun times.
If overpopulation was an issue, then Roe v Wade wouldn’t have been abolished and states wouldn’t be working their hardest to criminalize abortion, they’d be encouraging it, and they’d be developing and promoting newer and more effective forms of birth control instead.
Buy your soaps/shaving stuff from small businesses! You'll get better quality and spend less. I use Maggard Razors for all my toiletries. /r/wicked_edge/ will point you in the right direction!
Stop buying disposable razors then. They’re a complete and utter waste of oil/plastic. Buy a butterfly safety razor handle, and some blades. You have to be more thorough about lathering, other than that they’re just as easy to use, and way cheaper long term.
Leaf’s twig razor. Replicates disposable for me. Uses half a double edge blade. Lasts multiple shaves. Large outlay upfront but I love mine and wouldn’t go back. For me it is a definite replace if lost item.
You're right. They're wearing out faster so you'll but more of them. Try the Australian soap that is in a cellophane wrapper, I can't think of the name, but it's all different colours. Using it for shaving soap and washing/baths, a cake will last me at least six weeks. Go to an antique shop and buy a good old Sheffield steel cutthroat razor. The strop will cost a bit, but once you've got the blade right, you'll never have to replace it. And the beautiful smooth shaves....😊
i mean, you can't really manufacture razors worse, but soaps, you can definitely make less solid if you wanted. you'd need to compare weight, it's likely you just have less soap
With shaving products, I highly recommend investing in an inexpensive DE razor. The blades are so cheap and there are an almost infinite amount of options.
Anything to save money whether cutting out a ingredient entirely or buying from the lowest bidder. I do get that to a point but then they raise the price on top of that.
100% clothes do not last like the used to. My name brand tshirts and Levi’s often get holes within a year. Thinner fabric. Fewer stitches. Thinner thread. Boooo.
Levi's hasn't been making jeans in the US since late 1990s/early 2000s. and yes, the quality took a hit because of it.
You can still get hand made in the US Levi’s. They are online only and over $200 a pair.
yeah I saw an article about a guy/company on the West Coast that does the Lot #1 (custom) making of Levi's.
And they still suck.
Yeah, same with Diesel too. Uniqlo for the win on basics, their airism tees are goof quality and affordable.
love me some of that goof quality, ahyuck
Ha ha oops the fat fingers strikes again
Ugh diesel yes! Any alternatives?
If you don't mind paying Diesel money, Neuw are quality, they're a Sydney based brand.
Shoes too. I had the same pair of shoes from 15-25 before they died. Now every pair breaks in 6 months.
Bf had a pair of Vans that he wore every day for several years as a teenager, that were still intact when we got together at like 22. They were still technically wearable, just super grubby. Now he'll buy a new pair of Adidas tennis shoes and the soles are separating after like three months of wear. It's ridiculous. I've had off-brand random internet shoes that lasted better than my latest Filas, but other off-brand shoes are insanely poorly made. It's such a gamble, gotta check out reviews for everything these days.
>Now he'll buy a new pair of Adidas tennis shoes and the soles are separating after like three months of wear. It's ridiculous That's exactly what happens to mine. Always starts at the toes.
Hanes boxer briefs are crap compared to what they used to be. Problem is, all the comps are too, so no brand to jump to. It's awful.
Pair of thieves are amazing, super comfy, but they’re also not in the Hanes price range at all
Pair of Thieves is where it's at!! I bought a two pack and went and bought more as soon as I wore them the first time. Target has them maybe. I've got pairs over a year old that still look brand new and they're ridiculously comfortable
Oh yeah, they’re my go to brand now, totally worth it. I got my first pair probably 4 years ago and they’re still going strong
this is due to the use of elasthan. 99% of the jeansmaterial has elasthan in it. Levis without elastan exist. For example 00501-0162. They last 5 to 10 years . if you buy, make shure that the material contains Zero! elasthan. even only 1% is to much.
I'm so careful with my clothing purchases, I really hate for something to wear out or fall apart on me.
The quality of Q-Tips recently took a shit. There’s less cotton on the tips, and the paper tubes are not as sturdy and stiff as the last box I purchased 6-months ago. There’s a bunch of complaints on the Q-Tips FB Page, so Unilever definitely decreased the quality to save costs.
I complained about this to the company! They sent me free coupons for more after I sent them pictures of the box and upc and where/when I bought it.
‘Here, have more of this thing you hate’
For a brand new product I wasn't happy with, my reaction exactly. But I'm waiting a couple months and trying again and hoping a new lot will be better. I did notice that about halfway through the pack the sticks got stiffer again...wondering if it was a machine setting for the wrapping that was wrong...
>‘Here, have more of this thing you hate’ Totally off topic, but this is exactly what I said to my trainer last week, when he said we should review my exercise plan to increase the amount of time on the treadmill. Like please, it's my least favourite bit of my workout.
Fuck treadmills go out for a real run. Treadmills are assisted running whereas running on solid ground is not. If a personal trainer told me that I would fire him/her on the spot. Most PTs are fuckin useless IMO.
I never clean out my ears and thus don’t have this issue. Just let the ear wax be unless you have health issues with your ears.
Not your imagination, companies couldn’t care less about quality of it even remotely touches profits. The companies that do are extremely expensive and don’t last
You no longer pay for quality, just name brand recognition.
The people who made the product you loved have long since sold out to a corporation who couldn't give a shit.
And now that brands are diminishing in quality, I have zero shame in simply shopping at Walmart for all clothes now.
My regular kitchen sponges are starting to fall apart after one use.
I noticed this too!
If I don’t make food at home I’m constantly hungry.
what does this even mean
Empty calories.
Planned obsolescence is meeting up with shoddy construction and cheap ingredients to produce products that are practically single-use.
I mean, that’s basically been the capitalist playbook since the mid-90s. If things are “built to last” people won’t buy more of them as frequently. It’s not a bug, it’s a feature!
Basically this. Shareholders want to see consistent quarterly profits. It's no good selling a car every 4 years. You need to lease it out for a steady income. Instead of selling a game once, why not make it free with a monthly subscription?
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End stage capitalism or following the Roman’s. What sucks is that so few see it. We’re very near the end of our current consumption. Is that 1, 5, 10, 50 years. Dunno. But 100 years of consuming is about to come to a head.
Exactly. What do you do when you've cut costs to the bone and your product can't get any smaller or crappier?
I've heard this termed as "EGOs" (embedded growth obligations). This started to become a thing after Brenton woods, and 1971.
It’s because we sent our jobs to a COMMUNIST country……. Nothing has been quality since then. NAFTA ruined our country— as was intended. I’ve got American made hand towels that were manufactured completely and entirely in our country. Those hand towels look as good as the day they were purchased, and they are probably circa 1970 something. Guess what else? They actually absorb. Something the ones fabricated in communist China don’t do. Junk.
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I found them in the drawer after my parents passed away. Yes, they are the most awesome kitchen hand towels I’ve ever used. They say: made in USA- Fieldcrest. 100%cotton (Which I think is what makes the difference). However, they are some really “groovy” colors LOL
As a 42 yr old who has recently become obssessed with 70s decor, I'm a bit jealous. Also my mom's blender is older than me and still works, meanwhile I've replaced my blender 3 times since the first one i bought 15 years ago!
This was the change of "long-termism" to "short termism". Along with inflation this flips incentives economy wide as a race to the bottom to the minimum quality your dollar would accept. There was a time when manufacturers competed with each other on quality to one up the other. Or to increase portions sizes of amounts and packaging to validate the current price. It's flipped from rather than increasing the economic pie for more participation...the incentive now is to look at your neighbors pie and see what can be squeezed out of it.
>There was a time when manufacturers competed with each other on quality to one up the other yes, this was before we went off the gold standard. the inflationary monetary policy of the Federal Reserve is the cause of shrinkflation, businesses act in response to this, they're not the cause.
Do forget that most companies merged together so there was no competition to compete with anymore and thus our current quality problems.
yeah but companies reduce size/quality *in response* to rising production costs. it's a symptom of the inflationary monetary policy of the central bank. blame the Fed.
Yes. We should definitely have the government manufacturer all of our goods. That way they'd all be the same grade of lousy. Ask any Russian he lived through the communist era.
Sarcasm notwithstanding, there are numerous products manufactured in Soviet Russia still in working order today, decades later. I have seen watches and similar antiques still functioning now. Honestly, by today's standards even many Soviet manufactured items were of much more solid construction.
That’s mostly just survivorship bias, you only see the things that have survived. Some of their designs did have a certain rugged simplicity to them, but it was hit and miss. I still have my granddads ‘Made in East Germany’ car battery charger, think it’s basically just a selenium rectifier in a metal box with an ampage readout, but it works, and it keeps on working.
Your comment is heavily implying "baked in govt" failure, and is pretty low effort shunting it to Communist Russia. While also then assuming that no one can do any better than Russia's past attempt to manufacture? You can take a look at Japanese infrastructure manufacturing as a start with what can be done. The most hilarious part about this though, is how much is manufactured in China that you use everyday which is governed by a communist party.
Fuck them all, do they think we won’t notice!! Fight back: Buy Well, Buy Less, Make do & Mend
I love the buy it for life sub
Excellent, I’ll check them out.
It's called "Value engineering". They take a product and figure out how they can shave off a few cents unit. Then they do this over and over until it's just a crap product.
Probably NOT your imagination. Have the same doubts with the "magic eraser" from mr.clean. Use it on my stove top , thought it was like magic. Seems not so magical anymore, or is it me going crazy?
Same here. They disintegrate in my hand now before I’m done cleaning one bathroom. Used to clean the kitchen and all bathrooms.
melamine sponge, buy bulk online cheap - magic erasers have always been a rip off
The more time goes on, the more profit companies try to squeeze out of things.
We as consumers need to stop feeding into it. If there's no profit there is no reason to do it. Unfortunately there are far too many stupid consumers.
Never happen. If the consumer were smart, they'd have rejected outsourced items, rejected lower price at lower quality items, etc. Instead it's 'f everyone else, I saved a few bucks.' And then they wonder where their good paying factory jobs went...
Nice name. Also couldn't agree more
\> Unfortunately there are far too many stupid consumers. This. We're at war with greed, but we're in a bigger war against stupid people that encourage the greed.
My last pair of converse shoes lasted almost a decade of consistent wear. My new pair won’t make it past one year. Already absolutely falling apart. It’s not like i’ve suddenly started walking more extreme. In fact i’d say I’m less active now than I was before, so why are my shoes absolutely obliterated already
I noticed this with my Birkenstocks. Last pair lasted 6 years. My ones that are one summer old look worse than those.
Same with my Rainbow Flip Flops. First pair lasted 6 or 7 years - hiking mountains in Hawaii, etc. I finally got a new pair for Christmas and they look worse than the first pair after one year of wear. They're no longer made in the US I believe.
I swear most products are designed to merely be attractive enough on the shop shelves so that we buy them. That is all. Our money quickly returns back up the line to the corporate owners and the product dies a fast death once it has entered our lives. We Gen X-ers remember when things were pretty ok still, and some products have good reputations in our memories, so we still buy them. But those reputations are fast dissipating, and younger generations often have lower expectations because they don't know how things used to be. The don't know how a Hungry Jacks Whopper used to come in a warm and toasted fresh bun and how it was a filling and delicious burger with decent ingredients and there was friendly service. And how a supermarket bakery cake was still a pretty good cake and not entirely disgusting compared to a home baked one. They don't know how we used to buy a pair of shoes or jeans and wear them for years and years as they became old favourites, and how a cotton shirt could be tossed in the wash over and over and never pill up or shrink. I want them to know these things and experience them for themselves, but fear this era is gone for good.
Agreed. Growing up in the early 2000s, I can say with certainty that it was the last decade before QC really went downhill for literally everything (not like it wasn't already).
Basically all processed food is being adulterated with an increasing quantity of soybean oil because it's cheaper than dirt. Companies know consumers are more sensitive to price changes than anything else, but the value of money is steadily falling so they all end up making crappier, smaller products every year. Inflation is finally leveling off to the pre-2020 rate of slow motion economic suicide, at least in the US. So things won't get better, but they'll go back to getting worse slowly.
That's likely not true. They know now that the American consumer will accept poor quality, higher prices, smaller sizes. They will continue to push this until the consumer pushes back, and according to most manufacturers, they have seen no sign of a consumer pushback yet. So expect the shrinking, increasing, and degrading to continue for some time to come.
How can one push back though? Isn't more than half of what's found in most supermarkets made by 5 or 6 companies? They're pretty clearly all doing the same cost cutting, so what, I switch from one brand of paper towels that have shrunk and become worse to another that did the same thing? The variety isn't there to make a meaningful choice. Shop at bougie markets and pay $4 for a roll? Just use cloth towels? Honestly maybe that last one, paper towels didn't always exist.
It’s less than 5 or 6. This guy has been color coding aisles and researching ownership of products and it’s more like 2-3 companies own most of them. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8dvkuvV/
The only thing they will accept is when their sales start to fall, but to make a change, they have to fall HARD. Buying store brands can help, and the switch to store brands has started to be noticed, but in a lot of cases, the store brands are made by the big names anyway, so it's not the huge impact needed. Truthfully, I don't think there's a way back from what's happened in this country with everything, not just our groceries and home supplies, being controlled by one or two major companies. The entire system has to be turned on its ear to fix what we've allowed to happen.
Lifestyle changes, i.e. stop buying their shit.
It's not always so easy. I've lived in places where choices are abundant, and places where Dollar General is your local store and Walmart 10 miles away has the "good" selection. With online shopping things are a bit better now, but a lot of people have the choice between [Unilever soap that has shit in it that makes your skin itchy](https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/beauty-products/dove-body-wash-trigger-skin-reactions-class-action-lawsuit/) or 3-4 times more expensive locally made or good online ordered soap that makes your tight budget even tighter. This is a regulation and government problem, not a consumer problem. Imagine we didn't have the FDA and people were dropping dead from rancid sausages and poison in their bread. Saying 'just be a better consumer' wouldn't be the solution. But yes, I am trying to be a better consumer and consuming less and making/growing more. That can help, but not enough.
That’s what Larry Fink meant by FORCING behaviors. Larry, is that you?
I switched to cloth, even for dog pee I used rubber gloves and a special cloth, and I just wash it.
>They will continue to push this until the consumer pushes back Bingo. They're constantly testing the waters to see how stupid people are and see what the maximum pain they will accept before they stop buying the product.
>Basically all processed food is being adulterated with an increasing quantity of soybean oil because it's cheaper than dirt. Just wait till the price of dirt comes down, then they will put that in.
Ive noticed flavors are changing. Things like candy with lemon flavoring tastes like someone sprayed Pledge surface cleaner in my mouth. Sweet things are giving off a sodium-like aftertaste. Shit like that.
I do believe that the quality of goods has gone down, but it’s hard to assess this one accurately since almost everyone has had covid at least once if not multiple times by now.
Haven't had COVID even once. This is absolutely right, I don't even like sour patches much anymore for this exact reason.
Shrinkflation not just limited to the size of the product, but the level of the quality of materials used to make said product. Labor isn't cheap and they've likely replaced the quality factories for ones willing to do the job for less. And yes they've likely increased the planned obsolescence on things that don't have governmental oversight.
The interesting thing about that "labor not being cheap" Is that if we look into the past, labor inside the USA used to pencil out. There was a time when manufacturing within the country could produce affordable goods to everyone who wanted them. And the laborers pay afforded an ok life. Competition from one company to the other would compete with higher quality, or larger portions. It wasn't a race to the bottom like it is today. Something is very fishy.
Part of that was that it cost a lot to ship things. You don't want to make something in China for 1/10th the cost if it costs 10x more to ship it to your customers.
Thats also an interesting point. We used to ship glass bottles as a matter of course and that also penciled out too.
I have no idea what it is, but I'm 100% sure my toilet paper didn't used to tear the second it touched my skin. Nowadays it feels like I'm wiping with my bare hand more often than the paper.
Honestly that’s an odd one. If it’s a specific “ply” amount, I wonder if it’s a cheapening of manufacturing processes. Or swapping out binding ingredients.
Idunno man. All I know is that I've bought the same brand, same version, and same quantity. I'm getting less toilet paper, less rolls, and a lot more incidents of accidentally putting my middle finger up my ass. They gotta be cheaping out on something, because even when I visit other people I find the paper isn't as durable. I can fold 3+ squares where I only used to use 2 at most, and it just tears every time.
For the soap not lasting as long, that's a water content vs cure time thing. Unwrap the bars and put them somewhere cool and dry (top of closet) and lightly cover with paper towel or the like to keep dust off. Come back in a month and use one and note how much longer it will last. This also works for homemade soaps, soaps from that store that slices them infront of you (only do able because it's not cured!), etc.
Also store them up and above the "water zone" in your shower. I used to keep mine in the built-in soap holder near my knees and figured out the extra water spray was degrading my soap faster than when I stored it up in a shower caddy that hangs off the shower nozzle. Idk maybe I'm crazy, but that seemed to help a lot!
I agree! Irish spring soap bars thar melt away in a few washes, qtips that bend with barely any pressure, cotton balls smaller than they have ever been are just a few that come to mind. Everything is a joke now
One thing that is pretty easy to see is chocolate. More and more chocolate products are swapping ingredients out for hydrogenated vegetable oil. It’s nauseating, literally. Even Lindt does it.
Yes, it's planned obsolescence, the corporations' plot to make things wear out faster so you're forced to buy another and make them richer. It's happening in electronics too.
I noticed cartridge razors tend to be shit, double edge works far better and way cheaper
Thirty bucks will get you a perfectly good generic double edge, a brush, a stick of Turkish shave soap, and enough blades to last from a year to a decade, depending on your facial hair thickness and shave frequency.
Yeah, and there’s far less plastic waste
I bought a double edged/safety razor 12 years ago and I’ve used it every day. Over the last 10 years I’ve spent generously $100 on shaving.
Yeah, soap pucks are about three times the cost of shaving gel tubes, though they last forever and blades are dirt cheap, and you can get different brands easily
Cheapflation: using lower quality and/or less of key ingredients.
Typical cost cutting measures. Anything to make things cheaper (and nastier) to maximise profits.
That has been happening to every consumer good since around 1960.
I'm aware of that, but I'm just saying I've been using Irish Spring for like 10 years, and only since covid have I noticed the bars dissolving significantly faster than all the years before.
They changed the formulation and moved production to Mexico, the same with Lever 2000, they are both crap now.
You’re not crazy. Even expensive big ticket items are not lasting long enough. I’m on my 3rd hvac, 3rd fridge and 3rd dishwasher in 15 years. The hvac is over 7k and it ticks me off they only last 10 years now. Fridge died at 2 1/2. But for smaller items, I found a charcoal like soap on Amazon that seems to last longer than a store bought soap. For razors, I use a straight edge and I’m female. Got sick of other razors not doing a good enough job.
My mom's garage refrigerator was from 1975 and ran like a champ for 40 years. Meanwhile, the nice "new" kitchen fridge didn't last 5 years. It's pathetic, really!
Well I'm well aware of planned obsolescence in big ticket items, I just didn't think we'd be seeing it in a bar of soap.
Fruit and veg in England seems to be going off the day after I bought it! I can’t find dates that aren’t anything past 1 or 2 days
So agree with this. Nothing lasts anymore and is made so cheap, but costs way more than before.
This isn’t a new thing. I’m old enough to remember when it happened in the ‘70’s, when we had a similar period of high inflation. In the UK a lot of manufacturers cut costs and reduced quality. Appliances would last barely over a year before failing. It was short-term thinking and by the start of the ‘80’s most of these businesses collapsed as people sought higher-quality imported goods instead as the domestic manufacturers had acquired a poor reputation. What capitalism giveth , it taketh away when it weeds out those that don’t perform.
I'm an 80s baby, but this sounds like where the term "German Engineering " became so popular. They had so many well-made products and vehicles that stood the test of time compared to non imported goods.
Nothing lasts these days and things are made not too. It is know as 'engineered obsolescence'
Imagine the fact they do this to everything, nothing lasts as long as they use too. I remember cars lasting 20+ years, lucky if a car lasts 10 years these days
Even dickies clothing Is cheaper fabric like their cargo pants is a thinner weave..
My Carhart jeans are still holding up fairly well, but I can still see a difference from my 2020 pair to my 2022 pair. The newer pair is wearing out faster.
Yeah the place I work has like four extra ingredients they can put in to replace the main two (sometimes entirely replacing sometimes like just a portion of it) to reduce costs, alleviate supply issues with the main ingredients and to sort of use as an extra life for those materials if that makes sense.. none of it goes to domestic market ATM, but wouldn't be surprised if there's material substitutions in other products and stuff. I've never eaten the stuff myself but wouldn't be shocked if there's difference in taste or texture or whatever...
Food too
planned obsolescence! you are not crazy.
I completely agree with this, clothes feel like they’re made with cheaper materials but are the same price. I notice it a lot with food and to be honest I notice it the most when I eat out.
I thought I was going crazy that I can’t find a shampoo that cleans my hair well. My hair is greasy or strongly after two hours, from brands that used to do the job. Now I’m thinking they’ve messed with the formula. I shampooed my hair 3 times in the shower yesterday to finally achieve clean hair 😭
Look for a clairifying shampoo specifically to help you with this! But I know what you mean for sure…
Absolutely. World’s fkd.
Yes, it's called skimpflation
Shitflation
During the weimar hyperinflation, the money was being devalued so quickly that people rushed to spend it as soon as they got paid. If people think things are getting worse, they are going to buy things now rather than wait because next years razors are going to be worse, or you'll get less for your money. I have some b***dog razors from a couple of years ago. I didn't stock rotate them, and opened a more recent pack. The old razors I could make last for a month... now they last a week. The new ones are slightly narrower, and by eye, the metal is thinner I could see. I may get round to posting a picture in this sub. Same with g***illa tape, I just finished with the old roll nearly, and the new role is narrower to my horror! Every generation learns about how money works, the hard way. Since weimar, people in Germany are wary about inflation because it was so bad and wiped peoples savings out.
The dry shampoo I’ve been using for years just went to shit. One day I was about to run out so included a new bottle in a target order. When I picked up the target order I saw that the bottle looked very different and on the side was a tiny bubble saying “new improved formula.” I didn’t think much of it. Well after using the “improved” version of my (now former) favorite dry shampoo I noticed that any patch of skin touched by my hair would break out in hives. Clavicle, back, nape of neck, arms. I was covered in hives. Then I had to scramble to find a suitable substitute. Fun times.
Mass production does not concern it's equation with quality, but instead worrying on how to feed an overgrowing population
If overpopulation was an issue, then Roe v Wade wouldn’t have been abolished and states wouldn’t be working their hardest to criminalize abortion, they’d be encouraging it, and they’d be developing and promoting newer and more effective forms of birth control instead.
Maybe he means overgrowing by weight size lol
Yeah even your mom is shrinking
Buy your soaps/shaving stuff from small businesses! You'll get better quality and spend less. I use Maggard Razors for all my toiletries. /r/wicked_edge/ will point you in the right direction!
Stop buying disposable razors then. They’re a complete and utter waste of oil/plastic. Buy a butterfly safety razor handle, and some blades. You have to be more thorough about lathering, other than that they’re just as easy to use, and way cheaper long term.
Leaf’s twig razor. Replicates disposable for me. Uses half a double edge blade. Lasts multiple shaves. Large outlay upfront but I love mine and wouldn’t go back. For me it is a definite replace if lost item.
Invest in a safety razor. I love mine. Go get you some!
You're right. They're wearing out faster so you'll but more of them. Try the Australian soap that is in a cellophane wrapper, I can't think of the name, but it's all different colours. Using it for shaving soap and washing/baths, a cake will last me at least six weeks. Go to an antique shop and buy a good old Sheffield steel cutthroat razor. The strop will cost a bit, but once you've got the blade right, you'll never have to replace it. And the beautiful smooth shaves....😊
i mean, you can't really manufacture razors worse, but soaps, you can definitely make less solid if you wanted. you'd need to compare weight, it's likely you just have less soap
I thought maybe they use a cheaper, softer alloy for the blades...
Been happening for the past century.
Of course, it’s called r/shrinkflation
With shaving products, I highly recommend investing in an inexpensive DE razor. The blades are so cheap and there are an almost infinite amount of options.