The Aldi Pringles Copycat Reddit Says Took Shrinkflation To The Max

One reason Aldi loyalists prefer to shop at this grocery chain is because its prices are often lower than those of larger stores. However, it's not necessarily an apples-to-apples comparison (except in the case of actual apples) since most of what Aldi sells are store-branded products, such as its Clancy's brand chips, which do indeed include a knock-off version of those stackable extruded potato snacks made famous by Pringles. Are these cut-price snacks really such a bargain, though? Some Redditors have their doubts.

At one Aldi store located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a can of Clancy's Stackerz costs $1.89, which compares favorably to the $2.85 that the same store charges for a can of Pringles. Not quite as much of a bargain as you might think, though, once you take into account the fact that a can of the original flavor Stackerz weighs just 5.2 ounces as compared to 6.8 ounces for the name brand. If you do the math, though, the generic chips cost 36 cents an ounce while the name brand ones are 42 cents, so you still come out ahead.

Some Redditors, however, are upset about what they consider to be Aldi's "shrinkflation." One recent thread on r/Aldi started with a photo of a Stackerz can that appears to be less than half full, although the original poster did admit that they weighed the chips and received the full amount promised on the label. However, another r/Aldi thread pointed out that Stackerz used to come in 6-ounce cans.

Stackerz chips aren't the only Aldi product that has Redditors feeling disappointed these days. One person noted that a particular type of soda that once came in 12-ounce cans is now packaged in containers that hold just 11.2 ounces, while others pointed out that today's egg rolls are lacking sauce packets and the pizzas seem to be less cheesy. One sharp-eyed shopper observed that the calzones, which used to fit tightly in their plastic packaging, now slip and slide around in there, which they suspected might speak to the fact that the product is now smaller while the container remains the same.

Aldi, of course, is not the only retailer raising prices and cutting corners these days; shrinkflation is happening all over in this time of economic stress. Still, it makes us wonder: Is this store really the best place to find grocery bargains? Perhaps not – AARP found that, as of spring 2023, Walmart beat Aldi for low prices on supermarket staples and it seems this applies to Pringles knockoffs, as well. 5.5-ounce cans of Stack Attack chips are priced at $1.72 at Milwaukee Walmart stores, while a similarly-sized container of name brand Pringles costs just $2.00. With those numbers, you don't need to be a math whiz to know that Aldi might not be your best bet for one-stop snack shopping, particularly if you're partial to extruded potato products.