Shrinkflation Is Sweeping Russia

The goods are "thinner" but cost the same.

Russian food manufacturers and retailers are increasingly reducing the size of packaging, offering consumers a smaller volume of goods at the same price and masking the real size of inflation in the country, reports The Moscow Times.

Annually, such shrinkflation costs consumers 1 trillion rubles, or 3% of all food spending, the Consumer Union of the Russian Federation (SPRF) estimates. "The goods are 'thinner' but cost the same," SPRF describes the phenomenon, which emerged in the early 2010s and is rapidly spreading across supermarket shelves. "Most Russians simply do not notice that they pay the same amount - but for less product," the union points out.

Shrinkflation has covered all categories of goods - groceries, dairy products, confectionery, confirms the head of the Association of Retail Trade Companies (ACORT) Stanislav Bogdanov. Manufacturers are reducing the size of packaging in order to optimize inflationary costs and offer customers a familiar product at the same price.

Shrinkflation is most noticeable in the beverage segment, says Ilya Mosyagin, a senior lecturer at the Institute of International Economic Relations: the standard bottle capacity has decreased from 0.5 to 0.45 liters. Manufacturers of tea, coffee, vegetable oil and pasta have reduced the weight by 10-20% without changing the price, Mosyagin lists.

According to NTech estimates, the average size of food packaging has shrunk by 3% this year and by 1% last year. The growth of shriknflation is facilitated by "the trend to change consumer habits," notes Bogdanov of ACORT.

In 2025, for the first time in a long time, food sales began to decline in physical terms (in units, kilograms, liters) due to the mass transition of consumers into savings mode. According to Romir surveys, 68% of consumers are now trying to find discounts and promotions, and 58% are consciously refusing certain goods they purchased before. According to Gallup, 31% of Russian citizens complain that they do not have enough money for food.

Shrinkflation is becoming systemic and will continue in 2026, Mosyagin believes: producers' costs are rising, and they will look for ways to raise prices hidden. "Shrinkflation is becoming an additional factor of social tension. It is especially sensitive for categories of Russians with fixed incomes and low-income families, who have to spend more on basic foodstuffs," Mosyagin adds.

The SPRDF proposes to limit shrinkflation at the state level - to oblige to indicate on the price tags of packaged goods the cost in recalculation to a standardized unit of measurement for 1 kg or 1 liter. In addition, according to the SPRF, the requirement of uniform design of all prices for one product, including promotional prices, should be enshrined. This applies to the font, size and color of the price tag.

These measures will ensure "transparency of pricing and protection of buyers from hidden manipulations," the union believes.

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