A TikTok user named Serena (@serenawolf8881) recently noticed something unsettling about a new can of Campbell’s Chunky Steak and Potato Soup, which she shared in a video from the soup aisle of her local grocery store. Serena highlighted a noticeable difference between two cans of the same soup: the old version, which was 18.8 ounces, and the new version, now just 16.3 ounces, yet both are priced at $1.99. “What in the [expletive]? You’re losing 2 ounces of soup for the same price. Ridiculous,” she exclaimed.
The video, posted on Monday, quickly went viral with over 73,000 views by Wednesday morning. In the comments, viewers expressed frustration over the ongoing issue of shrinkflation—where brands reduce product sizes without lowering prices. One user lamented, “Hate ‘shrinkflation.’ We never get the old size back. Like ice cream used to be 1/2 gallon, now it’s 1.5 quarts or ‘Family sizes’ that are what the old regular size was.” told The Daily Dot.
Others criticized the business motive behind these changes, with one comment stating, “But you’re not looking at it through the lens of increasing shareholder value, and we all know that’s the most important thing in this country.” Another user noted a lack of quality in the product, sharing, “Also, they put in three tiny pieces of meat in the whole can. Haven’t eaten that for a while now.”
This isn’t the first time Campbell’s has been called out for shrinkflation. Two years ago, a Reddit user flagged a similar reduction in the size of Campbell’s Creamy Tomato Soup. In response, Campbell’s CEO Mark Clouse acknowledged the financial strain on customers and assured that the company aims to maintain quality despite these changes.
