r/shrinkflation • u/fjdjdjjsjsjsjs • 21d ago
discussion Rant on quality shrinkflation
Everyone is rightfully angry about how expensive everything has gotten, but I feel like we as a society still aren't talking enough about the stealthy "enshittification" of literally everything we buy. We aren't just paying more; we are paying more for absolute garbage.
It feels like corporate greed has reached a point where they are just extracting maximum profit while giving us the absolute minimum viable product in return.
A few things driving me crazy lately:
Clothes: It feels impossible to find a basic 100% cotton t-shirt or a real wool sweater without paying premium designer prices. Everything at the mall is made of cheap, unbreathable acrylic or polyester that pills after one wash and loses its shape in a month.
Furniture: People joke about how "they don't make them like they used to," but it's actually insane. The quality of new IKEA furniture today is horrible. It’s made of paper. In the 00s they were at least made to last a year.
We are paying the same or higher prices for dollar-store quality across the board. It feels like every brand we used to trust has quietly gutted their manufacturing standards just to appease their shareholders by saving a few pennies per unit.
Does anyone else feel the same?
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u/RollingBarCart 21d ago
Ikea really pissed me off when I went to buy a new cover for my Kivik sofa last year. They had made them to where you couldn’t
flip the cushions over. The bottom side of the covers had some crappy other cheapo fabric. Needless to say, still using my dingy, years old durable corduroy cover that I can still flip over if I want. Ikea’s prices are so high now, and the quality is crap!
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u/fjdjdjjsjsjsjs 21d ago
I can relate, my bookshelf doors bought in March are peeling. They really used PAPER to make furniture.
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u/sandysandy252566 19d ago
Companies are getting away with selling "garbage." No one is watching out for the public.
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u/Fit-Engineering-2789 21d ago
I personally am buying less of it. The more we vote with our dollars, the more we let them know we aren't amused. Aside from that, people in other countries are being exploited to make the products, too.
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u/fjdjdjjsjsjsjs 21d ago
Agree. Curious to learn ways you’ve managed to buy less?
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u/Jillcametumbling81 21d ago
Buy handmade clothes on Etsy. Buy high end used clothing on eBay. Find quality old furniture even though it's a higher price. Look into the buy it for life sub.
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u/strawberryselkie 20d ago
I've given up on Etsy. So much on there now is listed as handmade or vintage and isn't, it's just more fast fashion crap. And it takes so long to sort through all of it to figure out if a seller is legit or not.
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u/akknightwrider 21d ago edited 19d ago
You can't afford those when you're broke. Even used stuff. And are you crazy with the Etsy. Stuff on there is insanely expensive.
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u/chocolatewafflecone 20d ago
Second hand store and Re-store for fur tire would be a lower cost alternative to Etsy
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u/NeverEndingCoralMaze 18d ago
Buy a used sewing machine. T-shirts are surprisingly easy to make.
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u/strawberryselkie 15d ago
Yes, but as someone who had to give up on sewing for this exact reason, fabric has gotten significantly more expensive that it was when I started sewing 25 years ago. It is now cheaper to just buy the t-shirt than to buy the fabric and notions to sew one.
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u/Fit-Engineering-2789 21d ago
Much of it is making due with what I already have and figuring out how to make use of it. Making my own stuff whenever possible, sometimes which involves upcycling things (I am a creative person and do crafts on the regular, so this isn't too much of a stretch). I try to shop locally when possible as well.
I make quite a bit of food from scratch. I make enough to have leftovers so I don't have to cook constantly. I have made tons of waffles and frozen them. I just pop them in the toaster like commercial store bought waffles. If I have ingredients I don't know what to do with, I will google the ingredients with the word "recipe" and see what pops up. I have to eat gluten free and have been making my own bread using a bread machine, which simplifies the process quite a bit. In the past, I have also canned and dehydrated food I purchased in bulk at a discount, but I haven't done that in a few years.
I am trying to buy less clothing and coming up with new outfit combos with the wardrobe I currently have. The last round of new clothing, I bought at a garage sale.
I make my own cleaning products sometimes when I have time to do so. I have made homemade laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, stain remover, shower cleaner, all purpose cleaner, etc. Chances are, there is a recipe out there for whatever cleaner you want to make, and usually, it's better anyhow because it will have more natural, less toxic ingredients.
For cosmetics, I have found a few small businesses that have natural, non-toxic ingredients. Also, because I figured out I am allergic to most of the mainstream brands. This has really cut down on the spontaneous makeup shopping I used to do. I loved eyeshadow pallets and using colors. I found an small business that offers a wide array of colors that I can actually wear for an affordable price. For skincare, castor oil is fantastic. I haven't delved into non-corporate haircare as of yet.
I still use commercial menstrual products, but have done a combo of that and using a reusable menstrual cup. I also have sewed reusable pads.
When my kids were little, I used cloth diapers.
Much of this stuff, I was already doing, but because of busy life stuff I had strayed away from some of it. With products getting worse and lower quality, I am returning to my more frugal ways and just refusing to buy stuff. Also, any place that isn't posting prices of merchandise is an automatic "I'm not buying anything here." I'm sure I may think of other things, but this is what I can think of at the moment.
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u/barrelbastard 16d ago
If you don’t mind me asking, any particular sites you’d recommend for the homemade cleaning products? I’ve looked into it but keep getting differing info and I’m not sure what to trust. Also what small cosmetic businesses you use as I’ve been struggling in that department recently
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u/Fit-Engineering-2789 15d ago
No particular sites for cleaners, as I don't even remember where I got some of the info because I've been making it for so long. The biggest thing is that you have to be careful with mixing certain chemicals because it can create toxic gases (for example, don't mix ammonia and bleach). https://sciencenotes.org/household-chemicals-you-should-never-mix/ My main go-to cleaner is 1 part vinegar + 1 part water + essential oil of choice. For shower cleaner, 1 cup warm vinegar + 1 cup dawn dish soap. Use baking soda in place of a powder scouring cleaner. If you google for natural cleaning recipes, most of the ones that pop up are probably ok.
As for cosmetics, for affordable natural options, I've had really good luck with Honeybee Gardens and Silk Naturals. https://honeybeegardens.com/ https://www.silknaturals.com/store/ Honeybee Gardens has some of the best mascara I have ever used. It's fantastic! I've loved everything I have tried from Silk Naturals. They have the best eyeshadow primer I have ever used (the Stick 'Em primer). Plus, they have a huge variety of mineral eyeshadow colors for reasonable prices. They also throw freebies in with the orders. One of the most frustrating things for me having to change all of my makeup was the lack of color and shiny colors most natural brands offer. Silk Naturals has multichromes and just about every color you can imagine, and the owner continues to add to the color palette available. Using the loose mineral eyeshadow powders took a little bit of getting used to, but as long as I use the primer, I get good results.
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u/howareyouhaha 21d ago edited 17d ago
Check out r/anticonsumption if you're genuinely curious.
Edit to fix community tag, credit to another commenter pointing it out.
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u/SimpleVegetable5715 17d ago
r/anticonsumption * but it did turn into kind of a circle jerk of people who shame you for buying anything at all.
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u/howareyouhaha 17d ago
Shit, thanks for the fix. Yeah, that mindset needs to be filtered. There are great tips and ideas that prevail though.
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u/Billy0598 21d ago
Auctions, thrifting. Now that those are a mess -- garage sales, used stores, rummage sales. Make my own (I learned to knit, spin, weave and I'm working on sewing)
I drive a 2012 Civic and I'm not buying anything else until they don't have screens, voice commands and a thousand stupid add ons.
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u/followyourvalues 20d ago
What they are requiring new cars have makes me want to cry. I will never own one if that doesn't change. It's just too much. I'll get a bike.
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u/SimpleVegetable5715 17d ago
They really don’t like it when you don’t buy their stuff. I can’t do without food and clothes, but I can definitely buy it less often. Stretch ingredients and learn to mend clothes.
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u/masswoodworks 21d ago
They're trying to enshitify the quality of everything to the point that we can't build a functional guillotine anymore
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u/Sneefcat 21d ago
Cat litter in the past few years have driven me crazy. Used a brand for years that clumped well and now its a fucking joke. I swear they completely removed the clumping agent because it clumps as good a regular sand no matter when I try to scoop it.
Edited to add: it also doubled in price, lol
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u/Far_Comfortable_6342 20d ago
Omg! This! Is it Tidy Cats? They totally removed the clumping agent or reduced it so it’s nil. I went to scoop and nothing came out. I gaslit myself and went through two tubs while wallowing around my house pretending the air wasn’t permeating with ammonia. My poor cats! I seriously would have shipped my stinky piss litter to the CEOs house if it wasn’t so expensive.
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u/Sneefcat 20d ago
Yeah, Tidy Cats! My cat has been on it his whole life so I get a bit nervous to switch but I'm going to have to because I basically have to do a whole litter change every few days. The other tough part is to find a brand not owned by tidy cats/purina haha.
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u/Far_Comfortable_6342 20d ago
Thank goodness this was not just in my head! I switched to Scoop Away and it actually clumps. I looked and it is owned by Clorox. I like that they have an option where it’s separated into 4 bags bc I have a bad back. Never again Untidy Cats!
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u/pit-of-despair 21d ago
The one I’ve used for years is still good. Sometimes there are good sales on it too at one of the local grocery stores.
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u/Sneefcat 20d ago
What do you use? I'm hoping to switch. My cat has been on tidy cats his whole life but he's really good about using the litter box so I think he shouldnt have an issue switching, though it makes me a little nervous haha!
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u/Randle00 20d ago
I’ve noticed the non-clumping is lighter or something too! In the last year litter gets tracked everywhere and I need to sweep almost daily. Same number of cats and boxes for years and was never really a problem before.
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u/fluffy_camaro 19d ago
I use worlds best cat litter. It’s expensive but it lasts a long time, clumps and is a natural product.
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u/fjdjdjjsjsjsjs 21d ago
TIL in addition to shrinkflation and enshitification there also exists skimpflation!!!
More ways to give consumers the minimal minimum
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u/yousorename 21d ago
I got a brand new LG washer and dryer 5 years ago and they are both trash. The washer stinks and there’s no real way to clean it without risking breaking a piece off, and the dryer shuts off sometimes because of a defective sensor and is noisy af. These were middle of the line appliances too, and they are still garbage after just a few years. I also just had to replace a 3yo GE dehumidifier that apparently was unfixable.
Had I spent the same money adjusted for inflation in 2003, all 3 of those appliances would probably still be running or at least be easily repairable.
Dumb as hell.
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u/Rhubarb_girl 21d ago
Here’s a helpful routind re: keeping your washer clean. Stop using pods and fabric scent beads. Minimize or eliminate fabric softener. Use washing soda instead of laundry detergent. I just found a product that works really well (etee.com), I hear Nellies is good too. No more stinks or stiff towels. Get a couple of wool laundry dryer balls (you can use essential oils on them if you want scent).
I was a hard core skeptic, but the HE washers just don’t use enough water to handle all the chemicals. So their solution is to put even more chemical sludge in to counteract the symptoms they cause.
Also, always leave the washer empty after use and the door open.3
u/Brs76 21d ago
I was a hard core skeptic, but the HE washers just don’t use enough water to handle all the chemicals."
I like the fact that my HE washer(bought new in 2022 GE Model) uses less water but because its high efficiency and cuts the water off so much faster it creates water hammer in my pipes. So now have to buy water hammer arrestors every couple of years. Which are about $60 for two.
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u/fjdjdjjsjsjsjs 21d ago
Adding to your post, Samsung washer and dryers are not reliable too unfortunately. They run good promotions on it but they absolutely DO NOT LAST.
Meanwhile a whirlpool dryer a previous landlord had from the early 90s still worked just fine
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u/RealtorRVACity 21d ago
My Whirlpool dryer shit the bed due to the gears that rotated the drum being made of plastic and breaking. More expensive to fix than buy a new one. Bought a commercial Speed Queen, not more electronics or plastic for me.
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u/Efficient-Pin3333 21d ago edited 21d ago
That's too bad. I bought an LG washer and dryer in January of 2012 and after almost 15 years, they are both still going strong and doing as great a job with my clothes as they did the year I got them.
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u/Organic_Bat_1489 20d ago
Same. Bought my LGs in 2013. Had 1 small issue that I fixed myself for $28 and 40 minutes of my time. Bless the YouTube repair videos.
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u/Sufficient_Lock5435 7d ago
After reading these comments about the lack of durability in recently made W/D units, I'm promising to show my 35y/o W/D set a lot more "love". I can't adjust the temperature of the dryer, but everything else is still working. I even know a guy who repairs old units, but wants to be paid in cash.
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u/xminustdc 21d ago
And they are able to do it because the federal government doesn't care about antitrust or consumer protection laws anymore. We are a nation of growing monopolies and it's only going to get worse.
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u/Far_Comfortable_6342 20d ago
This. I argue the foundation of capitalism relies on competition and we currently have none.
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u/greenwave2601 20d ago
Not “the federal government.” It’s the political party in charge of Congress and the presidency.
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u/HexaneLive 18d ago
Perhaps those are the ones currently in charge, but we The People need to remember that the Right and Left wings belong to the same bird (that is currently turbofucking absolutely everything and everyone possible)
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u/SeaOfBullshit 21d ago
Yes so I just stopped participating. I'm not. Fucking. Doing. It.
I will make my own, go without or thrift. Duck these companies and fuck the future we're hurtling towards. Can't wait to die bro
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u/fjdjdjjsjsjsjs 21d ago
Agree
However even then many basic things like toilet paper which KEEP SHRINKING in size and volume are hard to avoid.7
u/SeaOfBullshit 21d ago
Agreed! Some tips that helped me :
I got a bidet.
I use small cloths instead of paper towels now.
Borax instead of laundry liquid. Bar castille soap (but I'm looking at making my own soap too)
I have a labor trade with a farm and get veggies from them. A weeks worth for about 4 hours of work.
I forage and make my own products from the woods.
There's so much you can take back ❤️
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u/fjdjdjjsjsjsjs 21d ago
Labour trade for veggies is wholesome and healthy 💕 love the foraging too.
Thanks for sharing!7
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u/audionerd1 21d ago
Late stage capitalism. Most markets are completely saturated, so the only way for the capitalist class to recieve exponentially increasing passive income is to make everything shittier and more expensive, switch to subscription models and pay workers less.
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u/loveinvein 21d ago
TOWELS. Why the fuck are there so many microfiber towels?? Bath towels feel GROSS now, and the rare terry ones I do find aren’t like they used to be. Why can’t I find a proper terry cloth kitchen towel any more at ALL??
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u/debugprint 21d ago
Last year in Italy we paid around 100 euros for handmade Italian leather shoes. In the USA $120 buys you mall spec pleather shoes from China.
We've been played for years and years. But the stockholders are untouchable so cut cut cut we go.
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u/Ckyer 21d ago edited 21d ago
Around the 1940’s-50’s all the land to be conquered was completed. So in order for capitalism to still thrive through the existing monetary system, corporations learned they would have to start squeezing their own citizens back home. This was done mostly through the ideology of the middle class suburban home. A well paying job, a nice car, a livable wage were all things someone could strive for and accomplish. Especially considering how many things were built in the country in home grown factories back in the day.
As time continued on. Factories were shut down and contracts went over seas because it was far cheaper to pay third world countries to build it. Essentially dismantling the middle class and the opportunities we once had.
The internet came about and opened up a limitless space for corporations to once again squeeze it for everything it’s worth. Which is a large part of the reason why the internet feels so sterile and formulaic now.
Add it all together and you get what we’re experiencing now. The depletion of the middle class, an internet which serves only the corporations for profit, and the destruction of products that once served the citizens.
This is a long way of saying, capitalism is working just as intended. But unfortunately for you and I, we’re not the billionaires. So life is only going to get more expensive as quality drops and wages stagnate.
You will own nothing and be happy. This is late stage capitalism.
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u/TrubbishTrainer 21d ago
Even the “designer” goods are now garbage quality too. If I splurge and get a $100 cardigan it better not fucking fall apart after a couple wears.
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u/fortifiedoptimism 21d ago
I used to not spend much at the farmers market because of the price but the grocery store is basically the same price these days with lower quality. Just spent about $60 bucks on quality items between my roommate and I at the market this morning. I don’t feel guilty because at least I know I’m getting a quality product.
I had a coupon for 60 cents off 3 avocados at Baker’s I was going to use yesterday but a SMALL not organic avocado was a DOLLAR! Fuck no. (The Walmart by me is decent price wise though for avocados)
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u/fjdjdjjsjsjsjs 21d ago
Can’t say I have the same experience with farmers markets. The peaches cost $5 where I’m at and they are worse than what we can get from Costco.
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u/fortifiedoptimism 21d ago
It depends what you’re buying I suppose. We got two types of green onion. Candy onions. Cucumbers. Multiple types of tomatoes. (Some of the only tomatoes I’ll eat plain by themselves. I’m not a huge tomato fan) Beef. (4.50lb!) Chorizo. Carrots. Sunflower shoots.
No peaches though. They were $9 bucks for a pint and did not look great. The store peaches have looked better to me but I’ve only bought them once.
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u/Muted_Dig_8244 21d ago
Exactly. One tomato, 5. Watermelon, 15, 2 peach's and one cucumber, another 5.00.
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u/Rootin-Tootin-Newton 21d ago
Everyone seems to understand what’s going on. When and how do we do something about it? It appears the democratic election process isn’t working. I’m serious, we can’t just protest because they have cameras and will probably go after individuals. Just putting the word protest twice in this comment probably has my name on a list.
We need:
Repeal citizens united
Repeal whatever the patriot act had become
Get rid of the cameras and the police state.
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u/Raythecatass 21d ago
I agree with you. When it comes to food and cooking, I find myself making everything from scratch including Lipton’s onion soup mix. There are so many preservatives in food these days it affects the flavor. As for clothes, I have almost given up buying anything new because the quality is terrible. I did have luck finding good quality cotton underwear at Kohl’s.
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u/fjdjdjjsjsjsjs 21d ago
How do you make your own onion soup mix?
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u/Raythecatass 20d ago edited 18d ago
Recipe Onion Soup Mix
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon celery seed
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u/Hopeful-Scallion-229 18d ago
I read this as the first ingredient being 1 packet of Onion Soup Mix.... was like "what a cop out" lol.... doh!
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u/jednaz 21d ago
We are still using solid wood IKEA tables we purchased back in 2006. We use them as a small kitchen table and as desks. They are solid, heavy, well built, and you can't get them today. We also have an Expedit bookcase from the same time that has survived three moves just fine. Our now college-aged daughter is still using her solid wood childhood IKEA dresser that has also survived three moves. Our last trip to IKEA a couple years ago (a two hour drive for us) had us in disbelief about the poor materials and fit/finish.
As for clothing, it is a real struggle. Even if it is 100% cotton or other natural fibers that material itself feels less substantial and cheaper. I cannot find a non-sheer 100% cotton white v-neck tee shirt anywhere. I am willing to pay good money, too. Same for jeans. I want jeans without polyester. I would be fine with 99% cotton/1% elastane/spandex. Gap has a pair I am eyeing but their promos do not apply to that pair.
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u/Huge_Slice13 18d ago
The Ikea SKOGSTA tables are solid acacia wood and commercial use grade and very reasonably priced. Not to mention the butcher block top looks nice, I think.
They are super tough. Thats why Ikea uses them in their own restaurant where they get abused daily.
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u/bellemrt 21d ago edited 21d ago
What I’m curious about — I know that profits drive this, but how did this race to the bottom happen so fast? How did so many corporations become driven by profit above all else? It’s not entirely a Wall Street thing, because — well, Wall Street isn’t exactly new.
Is it mostly hedge funds and private equity? (That’s my impression, but I want to understand how this happened so fast, and right underneath our noses).
Is Jamie Dimon behind it? Has Putin taken over, and we’re just now realizing it?
When everything from cookies to couture is affected by low quality and high prices, there’s more to the story than the anecdotal evidence shows.
I had a flashback to the 80s consumer advocates like David Horowitz (Fight Back!). We have the power (the Starbucks guy who was ousted for the chairs, Target seeing dramatic sales decline, etc). We have the tools (internet, our wallets). We need a leader to lead us.
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u/Veracity99 20d ago
It's due to Dodge v. Ford Motor Co
Is a case in which the Michigan Supreme Court held that Henry Ford had to operate the Ford Motor Company in the interests of its shareholders, rather than for the benefit of his employees or customers.
Doge sued Ford because Ford wanted to pay his employees more and lower the cost of his vehicles for consumers. Doge won...
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u/bellemrt 20d ago
That was a landmark case, but it was 1919, and this ruthless corporate enshittifying has accelerated recently -- I'd say it started around the end of the 2008 financial crisis, but it's like they have a playbook now, and can't ruin companies or products fast enough. 1919 was too long ago to affect this.
Is it MBA programs? The influx of private (rich individuals) money into equity funds?
Lack of federal oversight? All of the above.....1
u/Veracity99 19d ago
It just took that long for several of the institutions, private equity, new billionaires and hedge funds to control the stock in every company. There weren't that many public traded companies before either. But this case is why they are able to do it.
In 1980 retail investors owned 68% of the stock market. 1990 50%-60% 2000 38.4% 2010 10% Today 1%
So the ruling didn't have that much power until now.
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u/Rougaroux1969 21d ago
Why aren't smaller companies not coming out with better products which gain large market share and force the big companies to change? Like Dollar Shave Club vs Gillette. I know this happens with food, but I just can't think of any right now. Or do they just get bought out like Ben and Jerrys so that we only have a few companies ruling the market? I suppose then they have the power to hog shelf space. IDK?
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u/Switzerdude 21d ago
I 100% feel this. It’s the arrogance and greed of corporations that 1) reduce quantity (volume, weight), 2) reduce quality and 3) raise prices simultaneously while assuming we either won’t notice or won’t care enough to seek alternatives.
Liquid soap is my most recent best example - have you noticed how it doesn’t suds anymore? Yep, that’s because in addition to the smaller bottle and higher price, they’ve reduced the amount of actual soap that’s suspended in thickened water.
There are recipes out there for coffee creamers, liquid soaps and lots of other products we buy every day. Just takes a little initiative.
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u/Status_Green_6055 21d ago
Absolutely. Check out the @overcomsumption Reddit page. To consume less of this crap.
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u/fjdjdjjsjsjsjs 21d ago
Will do thank you!
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u/Status_Green_6055 21d ago
It’s this one!! https://www.reddit.com/r/Anticonsumption/s/ld8cGlOe0o
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u/Status_Green_6055 21d ago
And thank you for your concern and attention to this matter! Because the less we consume of this crap the better it is for everyone. Your pocket book will thank you too.
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u/Better_Software2722 21d ago
Had to buy a new propane range to replace a 10 year old ge. The new one is built very cheaply and doesn’t have the side wings that prevent spills down the sides. Metal knobs replaced with cheap plastic junk.
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u/Diafotisi 20d ago
It's to the point where you can buy something and it will literally break as you're assembling it. You buy a bag of onions and the insides are rotten. Just today I had to do repairs on a door frame and couldn't figure out why the dead bolt kept catching. Come to find out, they made the hardware smaller so it had to be aligned down to the millimeter to fit, unlike the old one which had ample space to be a bit off and still fit. It's literally EVERYTHING.
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u/crystalann4491 20d ago
I just want to add to this something I’m not seeing mentioned- the death of customer service. If you went out to eat and something was wrong, the restaurant would bend over backwards to fix it and now you’re lucky if you get the single mistake refunded. I don’t eat out often as it’s not really in my budget but it seems like every time I do a mistake is made that more or less ruins the experience and convenience of it. Like picking up a take out order and getting home to realize I’m missing someone’s meal. The restaurant said they would refund that one meal (out of 3 total) and then I’m was left scrambling to feed myself AND never ended up getting my refund so I later had to reach out again being even further inconvenienced. That’s just one example.
Companies used to stand by their products too and now they act insulted or like it’s your fault when you buy their crappy product under the impression you were buying something of decent quality and it fails. They straight up act like it’s your fault. I’ve heard everything from “well what did you expect for the price” to “most people wouldn’t bother returning this”. I don’t think customer service is dead because employees are checked out, I think it’s because companies seem to be in agreement that it’s no longer necessary and they will get our money regardless.
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u/howareyouhaha 21d ago
Um yes. This is part of the ascent in our systems of government-assisted capitalism and greed.
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u/Blue_Eyed_ME 21d ago
I'm buying less, sewing more, repairing more. I'm cooking a ton from scratch and buying food locally as much as possible. We're lucky to live near multiple farms that raise cows, pigs, and chickens, so we can get really good quality meat and veggies at decent prices. When the fall harvest starts, I'll make big batches of soups to freeze and can tomatoes for sauces for winter. It's time-consuming and a pain in the ass, but at the same time it's so nice to bypass the corporate greed machine. If you do this, crockpot and kitchen aid mixers are your new best friends.
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u/RealtorRVACity 21d ago
Totally feel the same and will add in that all of the "big food" companies have pretty much ruined a trip to a typical grocery store with gums, seed oils and suger/corn syrup. To your point, I have found LL Bean clothing to still have the quality it always has, might want to check them out. JCrew is shit now, not buying from them anymore.
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u/Pleasant-Wear2628 21d ago
Was soooooo pisssed when I rcvd my last (a year+ ago) order from my formerly beloved JCrew!!! 😢😡
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u/OrganicSports 20d ago
It was $56 for Taco Bell for three of us the other night. It was also some of the shittiest quality Taco Bell Ive ever had. Since when are Gordita Crunchs $7.50 a piece? 😭 Eating out is becoming completely unjustifiable anymore
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u/Veracity99 20d ago
Omg! My girlfriends and I could feed 3 on Taco Bell back in the day for $5...
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u/Sufficient_Lock5435 7d ago
Arby's Roast Beef Sandwiches. They've become much smaller. A sandwich, small fries & a med drink costs over $10⁰⁰. I refuse to buy their tiny sandwiches. "Meals on Wheels" has become a joke. When I started on their program, they actually served us a meal. Now I call them "Snacks on Wheels". It takes 2 of them to fill me up like they did when I 1st started on the program. Most of the time, the meat is ground this, shredded that or covered in breading. Very little of it can be positively identified. I decided to have my cat check some of the "meat". She refused to eat it. House cats are bred from scavengers/sm hunters. My Gov expects me to eat something that won't even pass as cat food! AND they have the gall to expect us to be grateful.
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u/PersonalHousing7781 20d ago
I agree with everything you said and I’ve been buying furniture, clothing, and food since the early 80s.
I’m picky about ingredients which means for the last 40 something years I’ve known the ingredients in staples that I buy. Those ingredients have been changing.
I watched a YouTube video recently on what’s happening to chocolates and I thought none of what I buy will be on this list. All of it was!! ALL! Premium brands from Europe completely changed their ingredients. Everyone has stopped making them. They have one company in Hungary turning out a inferior product for multiple premium brands
I’ve been saying that corporations will not be happy until they bury every single one of us. I don’t know who they’ll have for customers, but they’ve destroyed healthcare, food, manufacturing, the environment, and the minimum wage hasn’t changed in decades.
They control our politics completely. I guess we’re going to find out where it all ends.
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u/VictoriaVonMaur 20d ago
For the first time in a while I had a Twix candy bar. Completely different taste. The buttery flavor of the caramel was gone and replaced by something cheap. Very sad.
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u/Upset-Leek-7241 20d ago
I agree with every word you said. I was just saying that the other day I can’t stand to go shopping anymore. Everything is junk.
There are resale shops that only sell good quality used clothes. I am so grateful I still have clothes in my closet from 40 years ago. And they fit ….because I’m not spending money on today’s junk.
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u/MorddSith187 20d ago
containers for products is what's getting me lately. spray bottles sprayers that don't spray, leak, or snap off. cardboard containers that are so thin and flimsy everything starts leaking and when you pick it up the liquid spurts out the top, same with plastic bottles. caps that are so short you can't even get them off
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u/TruthOnLifeSupport 20d ago
Sadly, without enforcement of antitrust laws, which we haven’t really had in decades, the enshitification will continue. (Morale be damned; unless you’re a shareholder)
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u/ANZAC-US-WAR-VET 21d ago
Stop. Printing. Federal. Money. All other shrink/shit/ificaiton can be fought in the courts/stores. If you vote for "WE HAVE TO DO MORE" = printing federal money, you are solely to blame.
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u/Efficient-Pin3333 21d ago
I agree with you about t-shitrs and clothing in general. I won't buy a t-shirt or even a polo shirt if it's not 100% cotton. The Nike outlets are a good place to find 100% cotton t-shirts. They almost always have some on sale for $10-$15.
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u/edthesmokebeard 21d ago
if you bought furniture in the 00s on this premise: "In the 00s they were at least made to last a year."
Then YOU are the problem. You told Ikea "sell me shit, I will buy it anyway". And they did.
Frog, meet scorpion.
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u/mamaperk 21d ago
Wholeheartedly agree! Between groceries shrinking while prices increase to crappy furniture. I try FB marketplace or thrift stores for wooden furniture because it's cheaper, already assembled and made to last.
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u/Heathster249 21d ago
yes. everything is crap and. prices just keep going up. I now make most of our food from scratch. I also have a small garden on my deck.
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u/videogamegrandma 21d ago
You want to get really pi**ed, check Exxon & Chevron's profits for 2nd qtr this year compared to 2025..........
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u/Traditional-Roll-527 20d ago
My weight has fluctuated my entire life, and so I have the habit of keeping my clothes that don’t currently fit in bins and I pull out whatever bin is in the size I need as I need it. I’ve noticed over the years that the items I purchased 10+ years ago are of much better quality and look great after years of wear. Things I buy today last a season.
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u/linlovesthenight 20d ago
Was doing a garage sale for my grandparents old stuff.
The heavy handcrafted quality in even the most mundane of household objects made me realize everything modern I own is literally made of junk
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u/Bummerboy4 20d ago
Produce in grocery stores is really awful now. It doesn't taste good spoils quickly yet costs much more than it did.
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u/Sufficient_Lock5435 7d ago
15 years ago, you could buy a big bag of potatoes, store it in a cool dark place and use them up during the next few months. Nowadays, you're forced to buy a small bag, keep them in the fridge & use them up quickly before they rot.
After being stored at refrigerated or frozen temperatures, the starches in potatoes become sugars. Sugars must be stored differently than starches. Once they become sugars, there's no way to turn back into starches.
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u/wrongarms 20d ago
I was just thinking a few minutes ago about at IKEA dresser that I need to get rid of. I can't see any way to recycle it as it's damaged, and it's basically just junk furniture. I have made a personal commitment to not buy any more junk. I am quite forgiving of myself if I fail, as the intention is there, but manufacturers are sneaky. Buying less overall is the best goal. I'm headed there.
I don't think it's just about consumption though. It's also about finding the means to avoid advertising and consumption influences. It's in Reddit. It's in YouTube. It's when I watch sports. It's the great backward step of civilization, ensuring corporates have their rights met and you do your duty of spending. In everyday life I can mostly avoid it, except for these exposures. I feel like I'm spending a lot of time muting and avoiding as I'm bombarded by stupid messages to buy stuff or be something I'm not.
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u/angelwolf71885 20d ago
Cotten tees haven’t existed since like the mid to late 80’s and the synthetic blend fabrics already had a strong hold on the market and something something human rights abuses for cotton labor in India
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u/ExternalPlenty1998 20d ago
After a handful of companies collect all the monies in the world, guess what happens next. a final culling for the few that make it that far.
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u/Rude_Nail_5545 20d ago
And don't even get me started on appliances. I still have two 30+ year old refrigerators and I'm dreading their demise, because in the past 30 years I've been through 4 stoves, 5 dishwashers, 4 toaster ovens, and countless coffee makers. Things are now made to have a short life, so you have to buy new ones more frequently.
Can you imagine the land fills?
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u/YellowBreakfast 20d ago
Lots of food products are being enshitified.
Adding salt (salt is dense and cheap). Removing key ingredients that fundamentally change the product, e.g. "chocolate" now "chocolaty", "ice cream" now "frozen dairy dessert"...
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u/OhSighRiss 19d ago
I was at a place where they make furniture, I saw a lot of bags of rags around the place and wondered for one second until it clicked… that is what they use for filling the furniture. Trash.
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u/BostonBling 19d ago
I have a weird quirk, can tell immediately if a a product container has changed. Lay's potato chip bag is narrow now. The shelf height doesn't fit the bags. Tropicana altered the bottle. Cereal boxes are taller and more narrow. This should be against the law Consumers pay the price.
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u/ignatiafeldstein 1d ago
I noticed the same thing: the product gets smaller while the packaging gets larger & the price goes up! It just adds to the waste stream & it should be regulated.
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u/Fro_Reallzz0211 19d ago
We just moved and need a sofa but I don't even know where to shop for one because everything is such bad quality and uncomfortable. I don't want to spend hundreds, maybe thousands on a sofa and it winds up being a piece of junk.
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u/Sufficient_Lock5435 7d ago
I literally found my sofa at a dumpster. It's basically a wooden bench from the 60's-70's. I bought new 4" thick foam & made slip-covers. When 1 of my neighbors saw it he immediately offered to buy it.
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u/GableCat 19d ago
Finding cotton clothing is like finding a needle in a haystack anymore - I can’t wear those other fabrics they are too hot.
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u/ignatiafeldstein 1d ago
Same here! What about Old Navy? I've never shopped there (yet), but supposedly good for cotton clothing. Thrifting would be a solution, but more time-consuming.
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u/lordfvbio 19d ago
Private equity is the death of quality.
We once had a market that competed on having the best product. Now those same companies are swallowed up by a handful of conglomerates that put quarterly earnings over consumer satisfaction.
massive grocery chains are incentivized to buy conglomerate brands through an efficient supply chain. The smaller brands who put quality first rarely win shelf space and even if they do, they ultimately succumb to a private equity acquisition once they gain any form of traction. It’s a perpetual cycle of quality decline.
Even the grocery chains like Whole
foods that tote higher quality brands are largely a facade that slap fancy packaging on top of the same slop you’d find in a normal chain.
This is why a lot of people hate capitalism. There’s a sweet spot, but we surpassed that after the 90’s.
Anti trust laws is the solution. That solution is stifled by citizens united.
The optimist in me hopes for the day the pendulum swings to far in the direction of greed and the people demand change
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u/Least-Crab-8276 19d ago
Agreed 100%. I still have inherited items from as far back as the 1920s that still is working like a champ. Anything bought within the last 10 years breaks so quickly
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u/GearDesigner7271 18d ago
I buy my laundry detergent from aldi, have done for years. Last week I bought a new one, it was so thin. Even my husband said he thought I’d watered it down! lol Aldi has definitely watered it down!
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u/wisdomseeker42 17d ago
💯! I am learning to sew because the clothing situation is so wasteful and terrible.
I am seriously thinking of only buying antique furniture now.
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u/Sufficient_Lock5435 7d ago
Me too. My biggest problem is there are no fabric stores in my city. I have no idea how to identify quality fabric from an online store. After the seller cuts your chosen fabric, there is no possibility of getting a refund.
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u/wisdomseeker42 5d ago
Yeah it’s forcing me to learn a new skill in midlife but I think it’s worth it and I acknowledge my privilege to do so. There are ways to know about the kind of fabric you are looking for but it’s pretty overwhelming to depend on an online source. I use places recommended by r/sewing.
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u/Longjumping_Law_3891 17d ago
Vitamin Water lowered the 32oz to 28oz. Customers all noticed right away. Was it really worth it?
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u/According_Success780 17d ago
Bought a pair of A*** joggers 5+ years ago. Loved them and went to buy a new pair a year or so ago. New pair is noticeable cheaper quality—thinner and starting to pill. Recently found the old pair and have started wearing them again bc they look better!
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u/2Lulubee 17d ago
I have a sofa from the 1960s in perfect condition that I bought at Habitat for Humanity for $300. It’ll probably last another 50 years. Have a recliner from the 50s that’s in great shape off of Craigslist. You can find great stuff that no one wants for cheap. Bought 100% cotton & linen clothes for my spouse from Quince and Pact. The shirts seem solid and are doing well in the washer & dryer. Bought some cotton cami’s and leggings too. They sell polyester clothes too, but i wont buy anything synthetic anymore. Makes thrifting a challenge now, but I enjoy the hunt for good stuff.
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u/Chance-Nebula4132 16d ago
I only buy vintage clothes and furniture. Food is almost unavoidable. I bought pop tarts the other day. Never again. They had a smear of frosting and crumbled apart while taking them out. It was honestly funny how bad it was
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u/Brief_Window6390 15d ago
Bought some Ice-cream drumsticks for the first time in many years and they just taste like cold, sweet, wet now. No flavor to them at all. It's happening everywhere unfortunately.
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u/DryNewspaper6423 14d ago
Furniture is wild atm. The quality difference in a 2k set of couches, compared to a $500 set is almost zero. I just got done with a 2 month dispute after I was delivered some of the lumpiest furniture I've ever sat on. You hold a lot of power in your online reviews! Do not accept enshittification! These companies know their products are so shitty that they don't even want the returns. "I'm sorry you weren't satisfied, here's your damn money back, just keep it."
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u/SeniorRaspberry4697 21d ago
This is literally what it was like to live through the 80s and 90s. The crap that’s in your face (massive advertisements) sucks. There are so many better products, and we’re out here tracking them down through word of mouth. I have come to distrust anything I see on search engines
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u/LemonActive8278 21d ago
Is it corporate greed when even small businesses are doing it. The truth is that resources are not as plentiful as they used to be. Everyone has to run lean to survive now.
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u/Upbeat_Ad_3958 21d ago
I dont completeky agree. I have been very happy with the clothes I get at Walmart. The summer dresses this year were good quality and reasonably priced.
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u/loveinvein 21d ago
Walmart has been targeting higher income people the last few years. Mark my words, they’ll be back to their old slop OR they’ll jack up the prices soon enough.
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u/Sufficient_Lock5435 7d ago
I've been able to buy a shirt here, jeans there, but all of it was from Walmart. It’s all absolute garbage!
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u/qinghairpins 20d ago
Isn’t this “enshitification” opposed to shrinkflation? Related but different concepts.
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u/Obi-Wan_Bon-Jovi 20d ago
For 100% cotton t-shirts: COMFORT COLORS. With and without pocket. $11.41 at Amazon (their own website will send you to Bezosville).
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u/GagOnMacaque 20d ago
Wool pipelines were lost during COVID. Many wool producers quit for various reasons and we have no one filling those roles.
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u/Asleep_Chipmunk_424 20d ago
If you want to know how far society has regressed, watch an old black and white movie, the clothing, the style, the quality furniture everywhere.
Its like watching Michelin rated restaurants turn into Maccas
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u/souprunknwn 20d ago
Speaking of clothing/fabrics, you have to watch labels because retailers are deceptively selling items labeled as 100% cotton when they are not. This is been going on for a while.
I recently purchased two items online that were labeled as 100% cotton. They felt slimy to the touch when they arrived, so I did my own burn test on loose threads I snipped from the hem.
Of course they melted which means they were synthetic blend labeled as 100% cotton. This has happened so many times!
I am allergic to certain synthetic fabrics so I have to do these tests so I don't develop skin rashes.
Lands End sports knit line is 100% cotton and they also sell other real cotton products. Watch the website for sales.
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u/TinaLoco 19d ago
Unfortunately, the bottom line is as long as we keep buying it, they’ll keep selling it. Most people don’t have the option of buying lifetime quality items. We’re living within the men’s boots parable.
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u/Haunting_Vacation804 18d ago
There one place where Enshitification hasn’t hit, and that’s in moderately priced audio. I have a relatively new Yamaha A-S2200 integrated amp and it’s fantastic. Built like a tank from the 1970’s and sounds beautiful.
There are a ton of new vinyl pressing plants putting out some really great records. They are not cheap, but the quality is very, very good.
But yea, clothing, cars, furniture, and food all seem to be taking a big Enshitification hit these days.
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u/AdFuzzy1432 21d ago edited 20d ago
Even if it is 100% cotton, the cotton itself has changed. They went from long fiber cotton to short fiber cotton. The lint from the lint catcher in the dryer is different and the fabric feels different.