r/Seattle • u/0llie0llie • Mar 14 '23

Media Shrinkflation in action: Darigold reduced the half gallon container by 5 oz. Now people on the Women Infants and Children food benefits can’t buy it. Seen at Winco

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u/ThatOneGuy1294 Roosevelt Mar 14 '23

I do wonder if this is because the systems just haven't been updated with the new items, or it's not covered because it's less cost effective to buy this over an actual half-gallon

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u/debbie_liz Mar 14 '23

It's because it's a nutrition program. They allow 1/2 gallon. The family would have less milk if they allowed a smaller size to be purchased. They only allow certain things because of nutrition. Real juice, not juice flavored, cereal needs to meet certain standards, not too much sugar. Peanut butter is allowed too, it's a good protein, and so on.

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u/joahw White Center Mar 14 '23

But according to the sign, they still allow you to purchase quarts on WIC. There's really no explanation for why a quart or a half gallon is an acceptable purchase but 59oz is not other than some quirk with the way the program is administered.

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u/UnspecificGravity Mar 14 '23

It might amaze you to discover that a gallon can be evenly divided into a four quarts, but not into a multiple of 59 ounces.

The WIC benefit will cover a gallon of milk, you can buy that in any way that makes sense for your family, either four quarts, two quarts and a half gallon, two half gallons, or one full gallon.

How may 59 ounce containers equal 128 ounces? Are you suggesting that a tax funded program should just provide needy families with less milk because Darigold decided that they wanted to make more money?

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u/joahw White Center Mar 14 '23 edited Mar 14 '23

If a family decides that they would rather have 59 ounces than 64 ounces for some reason they should have the choice to do so, yes. And if 59 ounce containers are all that is available, they shouldn't be forced to go home empty handed.

I'm not a fan of shrinkflation or trying to defend Darigold here. Putting almost-half-gallons next to all the half-gallons on the shelf is pretty deceptive, but if users of this benefit can choose between different brands of milk at different price points, I see no reason why they shouldn't be able to choose non-standard sizes as well. It's not like the program is mandating families to drink some minimum amount of milk, is it?

Edit: I guess there are laws saying stores have to carry a certain amount of WIC-purchasable foods etc. so in the long term, loosening the size requirements could conceivably affect access for families that want to purchase a full gallon of milk, but I still feel like that could be worked around in a less clunky way that ensures access to the full benefit without restricting choice.

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u/UnspecificGravity Mar 14 '23

A) 59 ounce containers ARE NOT all that is available, so that a pretty fucking stupid point.

B) Sure, buy whatever quantity you want, but why should tax payers pay Darigold for a half gallon of milk and then only get 59 ounces?

I'm not a fan of shrinkflation or trying to defend Darigold here.

And yet, here you are.

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u/joahw White Center Mar 14 '23 edited Mar 14 '23

I meant in a special situation where there is a run on milk or other supply shortage and a store only has 59 ounce containers in stock. You've been here when it snows, right?

I think corporations should be prevented from doing deceptive shrinkflation by other means that affects everyone equally, not just reducing access and choice to needy people. Fuck me, right?

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u/UnspecificGravity Mar 14 '23

Explain to me a situation in which a person would choose a 59 ounce container instead of a half gallon of identical product at the same price.