MULTAN, Jan 24 (APP): Amid the challenge of diminishing purchasing power, consumers are faced with the ripple effects of soaring inflation as many staple commodities undergo unprecedented downsizing.
Flour, a kitchen staple in 20 kg and 10 kg quantity bags, has also shrunk to a five kg pack, leaving households adjusting to the new norm, especially among the poor families across the south Punjab, said a shopkeeper named Muhammad Saleem. He stated that there were large number of consumers who used to purchase flour twice a day as per their economic condition. Similarly, the same trend is being noticed in the sale of ghee and some other items, he hinted.
Besides this, the downsizing trend extends beyond the bakery aisle, as companies across the board reduced the size of biscuits and sachets, impacting not only the quantity but also the wallets of everyday shoppers, he maintained.
The trend also emerged in tea leaves and sugar sachets. Many local companies reduced the quantity but kept the same prices. The consumers are paying more for less quantities, stated Muhammad Adnan Ahmed, Waqar Khan and Shafqat residents of Lodhi Colony, MDA Chowk and Faiz-e-Aam Chowk while talking to APP.
The companies dealing in processed milk packs have also reduced quantity and maintained the prices, they added. However, multi-national companies increased the prices of the milk packs instead of reducing the quantity.
They maintained, that ghee once was available in more substantial quantities, is now hitting shelves in a modest 125-gram pack also. It has become the daily choice of citizens, they lamented.
This downsizing strategy adopted by manufacturers is a direct consequence of inflationary pressures and this is also creating trouble for consumers, especially the daily wagers, they added.
As prices rise and packaging sizes decrease, the purchasing power of consumers is significantly strained, they hinted. Families are forced to reconsider their budgets and make tough choices, they added.
The daily wagers demanded that authorities take steps to address inflation and ensure sustainable economic stability to facilitate the poor.