Skimpflation: Shoppers Report Declining Customer Service [Survey]

Skimpflation. You may not have heard of it, but shoppers are feelings its effects.

NPR’s Planet Money podcast coined the term to describe the present “economywide decline in service quality,” AKA the many ways companies cut corners to account for labor shortages and rising prices.

• Spending more time on hold with your bank these days? That’s skimpflation.
• Is your hotel not changing out towels? Skimpflation.
• Longer lines at the drive-thru? Thanks a lot, skimpflation.

And it’s not much different in the world of aisles, endcaps, and SKUs.

With reduced staff, stores might prioritize stocking shelves over, say, cleaning bathrooms. And with fewer drivers available, you might be waiting longer than usual for that grocery delivery.

Of course, skimpflation is hardly an isolated issue. It’s closely tied to a changing labor market, supply chain issues, and its cousin “shrinkflation” (i.e. reducing the size or amount of a product sold, without reducing the price).

For all this belt-tightening and cost-cutting, retailers and brands are working hard to make skimpflation as unnoticeable as possible for their customers.

But are shoppers noticing? If they are, what do they think about skimpflation, and how are they responding?

We put the questions to the shoppers themselves.

Field Agent Member since December 5, 2020

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