***Story first aired on January 6, 2014***

Ever notice that some of your favourite products seem to be shrinking but the price stays the same? Frustrated consumers have contacted Steele on Your Side, feeling cheated when manufacturers try to change product packaging without letting people know they’re getting less for their money.

Product shrinkage is not your imagination, according to University of British Columbia marketing professor Kate White. Grocery store aisles are filled with examples of the downsizing trend.

"I actually had a student that did an internship for a chip manufacturer and part of her job was to do testing and figure out how many chips can they take out of the bag before people notice," said White.

There are lots of examples: Pampers now have fewer diapers per package. Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Cereal is in a taller but skinnier box, containing one ounce less product. And the new Jif peanut butter jar has lost two ounces.

It’s not limited to groceries either: Old Spice deodorant sticks have a new look, but are a quarter ounce smaller.

"Up to a 10 per cent reduction consumers don't seem to be concerned. Then you cross that tipping point, and there seems to be more of a reaction from consumers," said Joe Freeburn, associate dean of the Marketing Management Program at BCIT. 

So instead of giving consumers sticker shock by increasing prices, many manufacturers are getting creative with the shape of their containers.

"Some of the manufacturers have put that little bubble in the bottom of plastic containers and so it looks like it's the same size, but the volume has been reduced," said Freeburn. 

When a product claims to be new and improved, that's often code for smaller. And what about that super concentrated laundry detergent?

"Really, all they're doing is taking water out of the container and they're charging the consumer more," said White. 

Marketing experts say price is the first thing we think of, instead of picking something up and wondering if the quantity has changed. But it's getting harder for manufacturers to shrink their products without us noticing. Thanks to social media, consumers who feel ripped off, can now out companies online in an instant. 

If you’re looking for a way to fight back, the experts say you can make your voice heard with your wallet. If you feel like a company is doing something unethical or is taking advantage of shoppers, you always have the option to not purchase that product.