Don’t look now, but your Gatorade is shrinking.

Yep—Gatorade once came in 32-ounce bottles. Now it comes in 28-ounce bottles. No big deal . . . except the 28-ounce bottles cost more.

What gives?

Lately, you may have noticed grownups talking about inflation. (Inflation happens when money loses value.) And you may also have heard them moaning that food and gas prices keep climbing. But have they mentioned shrinkflation?

Shrinkflation is the inflation you’re not supposed to see. Around the world, manufacturers (product-makers) are quietly shrinking package sizes. Are they lowering prices to match? Nope!

In the United States, a small box of Kleenex now has 60 tissues. A few months ago, it had 65. Chobani Flips yogurts have shrunk from 5.3 ounces to 4.5 ounces. In the United Kingdom, Nestlé slimmed down its Nescafé Azera Americano coffee tins. They once held 100 grams. Now they hold 90 grams. In India, a bar of Vim dish soap has shrunk from 155 grams to 135 grams. Check your toilet paper package. Cottonelle Ultra Clean Care toilet paper has shrunk from 340 sheets per roll to 312. These are just a few of many examples of shrinkflation.

Why shrink everything? To save money—not for the shopper, but for the manufacturer.

When money loses value, ingredients become more expensive. So does packaging and labor. It even becomes pricier to ship goods from here to there. Shrinkflation isn’t new. Businesses do it all the time. It especially tends to happen when inflation strikes.

Smart marketers know: A shopper will notice a higher price tag. But he or she might not notice a smaller package.

You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth. — Deuteronomy 8:18