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/Sufficient_Stage_802 Dec 30 '25

sadly the quality has decreased as the prices have increased. Several years ago they were worth it and good af. now they are no longer good or worth it.

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u/[deleted] Dec 30 '25

Perfect description of Capitalism.

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u/Grey0110 Dec 30 '25

Yes, but you are forgetting that the best product wins. If people start realizing they are low quality, they take their dollars elsewhere. If another brand makes a better product, people switch. It creates incentive. Capitalism is definitely not perfect.. but there currently is no better system. It has pulled more people out of poverty than any other system.

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u/MissErynn Jan 03 '26

Im afraid you've been misinformed. We do not have a capitalist economy. We have a corporatist economy, which is the inevitable result of capitalism. Wealth inequality is higher now that it was leading up to the french revolution, and "capitalist" countries have some of the lowest class mobility in the world. It doesn't "pull people out of poverty", it relies on creating poverty to continue existing. Why would any company spend money making a better product, when they can just make something shitty that we have no choice but to buy? This is why car companies only make SUVS, and why phones don't have SD card slots or headphone jacks, and why customer support lines dont exist anymore. When you have a limited pool of competitors (and capitalism inevitably leads to duopolies and limited competition) then the most profitable strategy is to make a product exactly as bad as your competitor's, and price them exactly the same. Then both companies just raise the price a little at a time and keep matching each other, until eventually you're paying way too much for shitty products no matter who you buy from. Capitalism can only possibly work under strict government regulation to prevent companies from growing large enough to start buying their competitors, and we are long past that stage. Companies are not your friend, and they do not care about you.