There’s nothing quite like the feeling of popping open a fresh can of Pringles.
You just know that the cylindrical stack will be full of uniformly shaped chips, each perfectly designed to coat your entire tongue with salty, savory goodness.
But this past weekend, when I impulse-purchased a packet from the petrol station, that excitement faded quickly.
I returned to the car, cracked open the lid, and… there they were.
These pathetic little crisps.
The “disgraceful” Pringles can
The Pringles looked… small. I mean, tiny. Like, almost regular-potato-chip small. The kind you’d expect from a Smiths or a Lay’s packet, not from the God-tier Pringles can.
I made my partner hold one in his palm for size reference, and as you can see below, it looks like it’s been shrunken in the wash, and that’s even taking into account that he has quite large hands (you know what they say 😏).
I popped one into my mouth, and instead of that full-tongue Pringle experience, it barely covered a single tastebud.
Not only was I left unsatisfied, but I was annoyed that I spent $6 on these measly slivers of potato.
Perhaps I got a bad batch, or maybe it’s because I bought a limited-edition flavour and the chips are meant to be smaller.
So, as a nonregular Pringles eater, I decided to take it to the (virtual) streets to find out if this was a common issue.
Comments from the office and beyond
It turns out, it’s not just me. Everyone’s noticing the shrinking Pringles, or the Shringles, if you will.
“That is certainly a noticeable reduction! But my recommendation is just to buy the packets of baby Pringles, they’re often on sale as lunchbox items,” my colleague Nama said.
Then Lifestyle Editor Leah joked: “It feels like all chips are getting smaller and smaller. Either that, or my appetite is getting bigger.”
On Reddit, users are also talking about this critical issue over on the r/shrinkflation forum.
One user said, “Shrinkflation at its finest.”
“I know they shrunk the cans about a year ago, but they always said the chips would stay the same size. Sigh,” shared a second.
Another quipped, “Pity the price didn’t shrink with it.”
Yet another frustrated customer replied: “Yup. Noticed it late last year and immediately stopped buying them completely. F*** ’em…”
For some, though, it’s not all doom and gloom.
“I reckon they certainly have shrunk them. Although I’ve had many knockoff brands that have tasted much better, and are of better size. Like the Woolworths home brand or ALDI ones.”
So, it seems like this is a well-known issue and Pringles, along with other chips, have been downsizing for a while now.
That doesn’t mean I’m feeling any less short-changed, though!
It just means my servo impulse purchases might be a little more considered in the future.
