The Incredible Shrinking Cookie
Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:18 am
It used to be that each spring you could gain a pound or two by consuming a box of your favorite Girl Scout Cookie. I doubt that is true anymore. Of course the cookies are still available and in some new varieties too, but while the box seems to have stayed the same, the contents seem to have undergone a modest transition, they are smaller. I opened a box last night and immediately thought “where’s the beef” reminiscent of the old hamburger commercial. Each cookie was only slightly bigger than a quarter. Ok, perhaps that as slight exaggeration, but not by much. :rolleyes:
It appears that the Girl Scouts are just as smart as other manufacturers, keep the price stable, but shrink the product. The next time you buy a gallon of ice cream to go with your cookies take a close look at what you have. You can still get the gallon that contains 128 ounces, but not far from that container will be others that look similar, but contain a few less ounces. :-5
Retail marketers were a step ahead of bankers in figuring out that the average consumer is not smart enough to know that they are buying or getting for their money. Let’s hope there is no one out there using home equity to support their cookie habit. Do the Girl Scouts take credit cards?
In defense of the Scouts here is what they say on their website:
“Q: What are the sizes, quantities and prices of Girl Scout Cookies?
A: Girl Scout Cookies are sold by weight, not by size or number. The number and size of cookies may vary by variety. The national Girl Scout organization, Girl Scouts of the USA, monitors the weights of the cookies, which are set by contract.”
I stand corrected, it's not the size of the cookie that has shrunk, it’s their weight. So each cookie is now sized in direct proportion to its weight. I wonder if I would have noticed if there was one less cookie in the box of the same size and weight.
Gee, this is getting as complex as a credit default swap; can I have a glass of milk to wash this all down? :yh_rotfl
It appears that the Girl Scouts are just as smart as other manufacturers, keep the price stable, but shrink the product. The next time you buy a gallon of ice cream to go with your cookies take a close look at what you have. You can still get the gallon that contains 128 ounces, but not far from that container will be others that look similar, but contain a few less ounces. :-5
Retail marketers were a step ahead of bankers in figuring out that the average consumer is not smart enough to know that they are buying or getting for their money. Let’s hope there is no one out there using home equity to support their cookie habit. Do the Girl Scouts take credit cards?
In defense of the Scouts here is what they say on their website:
“Q: What are the sizes, quantities and prices of Girl Scout Cookies?
A: Girl Scout Cookies are sold by weight, not by size or number. The number and size of cookies may vary by variety. The national Girl Scout organization, Girl Scouts of the USA, monitors the weights of the cookies, which are set by contract.”
I stand corrected, it's not the size of the cookie that has shrunk, it’s their weight. So each cookie is now sized in direct proportion to its weight. I wonder if I would have noticed if there was one less cookie in the box of the same size and weight.
Gee, this is getting as complex as a credit default swap; can I have a glass of milk to wash this all down? :yh_rotfl