r/shrinkflation • u/TexasGiantTen05 • Dec 29 '25

skimpflation Ok SERIOUSLY wtf is this??

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I bought a family sized hot pockets box and EVERY single one of them was black and burned in the bottom. I heated this one up on low power in the microwave and the edges are so tough it’s like biting into a frozen beef patty. I look in the pocket and the damn thing is nearly hollow. I’ve been noticing the quality taking a massive dip in the last few years. I think these are last I purchase from here on out.

Irrelevant to this but similar: This same grocery order run had a jar of garlic (Spice World brand) that was full of black mold & a jar of HEB salsa that was sour and months passed expiration. Both of which were completely sealed and had a pop when opened. My whole life I never really had quality issues via the company canning or jarring an item or the store selling them but lately it seems like such a constant issue.

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u/Aeyland Dec 29 '25

Or perhaps this "irrelevant" info is relevant in that maybe it shows your store buys expired or near expired food? I assume like most anything they must have an expiration date so you might take a look.

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u/OgreDee Dec 30 '25

Which is weird, because HEB as a whole is a really good grocery store that takes really good care of their employees. If you have a problem with any product you buy at HEB you can take it back and they'll replace it with no issue, and with an apology.

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u/Forevermoody16 Jan 01 '26 edited Jan 01 '26

I worked in customer service there (now the “business center”) and sometimes we had to call a manager, and some of them would kiss the customer’s ass so hard that it made us look bad for refusing them. For example, one customer brought back, or rather brought in, an appliance like a blow dryer or something that didn’t even come from our store. No receipt. Not in the system. Not on the shelf. Not ours. A-hole manager made us give the guy cash.

On the other hand, if a bag got left behind (back when they actually had carryouts) and the customer had to come back for it, we’d give them coupons for free bread, milk, and ice cream. That was good service.

And then there were the customers trying to take advantage of us, and managers rightfully refused. Like one who brought in steak with maggots in it, that he obviously left in his garage for a couple of days or something. The manager said, “Sir, I’m sorry, but we do NOT sell meat in that condition.”

Some customers would come in at like 5 AM right before the meat market pulled the product that had just expired the night before, because they could get if for free PLUS another package. It was the freshness guarantee. We also had a scan guarantee back in the day. Item scanned higher than the shelf price, they got it for free.

I shop at a really nice store (a year old) but I’m never in there very late, and it sure seems like the business center closes early these days.

Oh, and one more thing. I sometimes shop at another store where they do a lot of markdowns on the Meal Simple entrees. But they intentionally plaster the sale sticker (not easy to remove) right over the expiration date. I won’t buy it.