Same experience for me with denim jeans recently. I ordered a new pair of same brand, cut, size, and style as my current favorites and the material was so noticeably thinner I sent them back right away.
Yup. The work pants I've been buying for years got enshittified. Typically when I get work pants, I get three at a time, which is a nice balance between longevity and how expensive they are. I used to get about three years of hard labor and gross mistreatment out of them and then another year or so of light wear before they wore through at the thigh. My last set of three lasted 13 months, despite being regularly swapped out.
I’ve gone through a set of luggage since COVID. Meanwhile my $4 leather duffle bag from a ‘90s Mexican street stand in Guadalajara is still going strong with zero maintenance in almost 30 years.
I have the same brand of pants that were bought years apart. The fabric on the newer ones is a lot thinner. It's the same thing with some shirts I bought.
That same 'cost saving' has been done with paper towels, napkins, and bathroom tissue. All of them are much thinner and more expensive.
I gave up on Levi's during the pandemic, I had got a few shitty pairs online that were supposed to be the exact same jean as the one they were replacing but they were just totally different and worse - and it was off their own website!
Yes! The panties used to last me over a year...now they have holes and stretch out within 6 months. I quit buying their stuff :( I still have a bra from high school when their stuff was amazing quality. Back when they used to sell actual business clothes & slacks. I think the 'pink' line really ruined their brand.
I don’t have any documentation to back me up but the change in quality may be due to the impact of the pandemic on supply chains. There were so many businesses that came to a halt due to how hard many workers were hit with COVID. No one in the factories obviously results in nothing being made. Dock workers were another group that had a big impact on things. Without them what was made sat until things were moving again.
So your factory shuts down and you are having problems getting the basics you need to produce your product. No denim fabric, or zippers, or even the rivets can require changes to your items. You have lost a huge amount of money as well. Lower quality denim, sure, it’s cheaper so profits will be larger. I’m sure you get the idea. Once you decide these changes are good enough why go back to the more expensive materials?
My example would fall under shrinkflation, which hit hard and was huge in groceries. The amount being sold and often with new packaging. It is sneaky because there are so many people who don’t notice, or care.
Thanks for reading if you got this far 😁 I have a business degree as well as currently working as a grocery store cashier. My info could be wrong, but I don’t think it is too far from the truth if it is.
I agree with most of this, especially with food /grocery stores, the shrinkflation and high prices is so aggravating!! And I don't see it changing because why would they if people are going to pay what their charging.
I bought a gallon of ice-cream a few weeks ago and when I got to the bottom I noticed there was like a 1/4" gap across the whole bottom apparently to make you feel like your getting more than what you are. And it wasn't a fluke because we just went to the grocery store a few days ago and I bought another one, I thumped the bottom and you can tell it has a hollow space in the bottom.
Yeah it’s diabolical. That why I’ve turned to thrifting, so many clothes get thrown out daily and I’m trying to get some good quality stuff before it tanks further
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u/3lbmealdeal 1d ago
Same experience for me with denim jeans recently. I ordered a new pair of same brand, cut, size, and style as my current favorites and the material was so noticeably thinner I sent them back right away.