WHILE public debate has largely focused on inflation and the rising cost of living, a quieter trend is steadily eroding household purchasing power.
Consumers are increasingly paying the same or even higher prices for products that contain less than they previously did, often without any clear indication that the quantity has changed.
Manufacturers may have legitimate reasons for reducing pack sizes, including rising production costs, taxes and currency pressures.
However, when the reduction is not prominently disclosed, the practice moves beyond a pricing strategy into potentially deceptive trade.
Kenya already has the legal framework to address this issue. The Consumer Protection Act, 2012 prohibits misleading or deceptive representations regarding the quantity of goods, while the Weights and Measures Act requires packaged products to meet declared weights.
The problem is not a lack of legislation but weak and fragmented enforcement.
Oversight is divided among the Kenya Bureau of Standards, the Department of Weights and Measures and the Competition Authority of Kenya, often leaving consumers unsure where to lodge complaints and allowing cases to slip through institutional gaps.
Kenya should now move beyond enforcement and strengthen consumer transparency. The country needs mandatory front-of-pack notices whenever manufacturers reduce package sizes within a specified period.
Such disclosure, already practised in several jurisdictions, would enable consumers to make informed purchasing decisions rather than unknowingly paying more for less.
Regulators should also establish a coordinated enforcement framework to jointly investigate complaints, conduct routine market surveillance and publicly identify firms found to have misled consumers.
This would improve accountability while deterring deceptive practices.
Consumer education must also form part of the solution. Many shoppers compare shelf prices but rarely examine net weights or unit prices, making them vulnerable to shrinkflation.
Public awareness campaigns can equip consumers with the knowledge needed to identify changes in product quantities and report suspected violations.
Finally, enforcement should not stop at supermarkets. Informal markets, eateries and retail outlets should also be subject to regular inspections to ensure consumers receive the quantity they pay for.
Shrinkflation is not simply an economic response to inflation but a test of market transparency, fair competition and consumer rights.
The writer is the Consumers Federation of Kenya secretary general
