Shrinkflation is a budding conversation — are we paying more for smaller amounts? The TL;DR (too long, didn’t read) is we are in fact getting less bang for our buck. And, spoiler alert, that cost varies by store in Tulsa.
A recent InvestorsObserver study says an average family of four is spending nearly $741 more per year on the exact same groceries than they did six years ago. A box of Frosted Flakes is 51% more expensive now per serving than it was in 2020 with fewer servings inside, according to the study. When prices increase but the product itself is smaller, that’s known as shrinkflation.
The Flyer investigated shrinkflation here in Tulsa. With help from Tulsa Documenters, we compared prices of 20 popular brand and store name items at six different grocery stores around the city. Here are our findings and how they match up against the national study.
This special project was made possible with help from Tulsa Documenters. This program trains and pays Tulsa residents to document local government meetings. For more information about Tulsa Documenters and how to join, visit the Tulsa Flyer website here.
Key findings
- A 2-liter bottle of Coke cost $1.89 in 2020, according to the study. In Tulsa, that ranges from $2.95 to $3.99 today, depending on the store.
- In 2021, a 15.5-ounce bag of Doritos Nacho Cheese was $4.79, according to the study. Now, these bags weigh an ounce less but cost Tulsans around $2 more (between $5.48-$7.29).
- Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Breakfast Cereal shrunk to 21.7 ounces in 2024 and cost $5.48. That’s $1 more than before, despite losing more than two servings in size, according to the study. In 2025, the price fell to $4.98; here in Tulsa, you’d pay more than $6 at some stores.
- A family size bag of peanut M&M’s shrank to 18.08 ounces in 2024, but the price per ounce doubled, according to the study. That costs between $9.48 and $11.49 at grocery stores in Tulsa.
Walmart Neighborhood Market
3116 S. Garnett Road
Faith Harl says it’s hard to believe a family size bag of Peanut M&Ms costs almost $10 now. Compared to the other stores Tulsa Documenters shopped at, her findings were usually on the cheaper end.
A Ben & Jerry’s pint costs $4.87, which is slightly cheaper than 14 ounces of Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean in cents per ounce (30.4 vs. 31.1 cents per ounce); you do get less ice cream, though. Still, the store brand version is the cheapest at $1.87 or only 11.7 cents per ounce.
“I also noticed what types of products were available at this store versus the midtown Reasor’s where I typically grocery shop,” Harl said. “There was barely any fresh produce at the Walmart on Garnett, and the majority of the products were highly processed foods from large food corps.”
Walmart Supercenter
207 S. Memorial Drive
If you’ve ever wondered whether the Walmart Supercenter has different prices than Walmart Neighborhood Markets, most brand name items we found appeared to be the same. Susan Hartman reports a can of Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Noodle is $1.24, the same as Harl saw.
Hartman grew up in Arkansas, which is home to Walmart’s headquarters, and she was surprised the Great Value brand was a much cheaper option. As a kid, her mom cooked meals from scratch using her food stamps. Since then, Hartman tries to buy less processed foods.
“Today I shop by ingredients rather than price,” Hartman said. “Cost is a factor, but I will just not buy a product, chips for example, if the better quality item is too expensive.”
Reasor’s
3915 S. Peoria Ave.
Leslie Cardiel typically shops at her local Walmart, and she feels like the Reasor’s prices were high. A 13-ounce bag of Lay’s Classic Potato Chips costs $5.99, which is $1 more than most of the other stores Tulsa Documenters went to.
The Reasor’s store brand chip alternative also had the highest cents per ounce compared to others, despite being cheaper than the brand name option.
“I thought the difference between the store brand chips and the brand chips was absolutely ridiculous,” Cardiel said. “It made me realize how much I must be spending just for my favorite bag of chips.”
WinCo Foods
7130 S. Memorial Drive
In this economy, every dollar counts, says Alexa Cappotelli.
She has an economics background and thinks most people don’t have the time or resources to find the best deals across different stores — let alone shop at four or five places each time they buy groceries.
“We often hear about the benefits of our economic system, capitalism, but when those benefits aren’t tangible for most people, I think that creates a pretty significant contradiction,” Cappotelli said.
She’d never been to discount supermarket chain WinCo but noticed snack food and ice cream were cheaper in comparison to Reasor’s. (Party Size Doritos Nacho Cheese was $5.48 compared to $7.29; Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean was $4.48 vs. $5.99).
So, maybe WinCo is the place to go if you’re having a big party, Cappotelli said.
Target
10019 S. Memorial Drive
Matt Rudy thinks people should price shop with store apps. Using the Target app, he was able to find cheaper prices online than when he was searching at the store.
“They should probably use an application that does price shopping, if they have the time to scan barcodes,” Rudy said.
Compared to the other stores, Target’s prices were more middle of the road. A 2-liter bottle of Pepsi was $2.99, a dollar more than the cheapest (WinCo) and a dollar less than the most expensive (Oasis Fresh Market). For a family size pack of Skittles, it costs $7.99, nearly three dollars more than the cheapest (WinCo) and one dollar less than the most expensive Reasor’s.
Oasis Fresh Market
1725 N. Peoria Ave.
After noticing all the cost differences, Kia Parchment says this project has convinced her to shop store brands for a while to compare the cost savings. Oasis Fresh Market is a local store, so it didn’t always have “store brand” options.
“Growing up, store brands were looked down upon in my household, but these big corporations are not showing any real difference nor specialty behind their brands,” Parchment said.
A 2-liter bottle of Coke costs $3.99, compared to $1.19 for the store brand version of the same size. Across the board, Oasis Fresh Market had some of the most expensive brand name options. A family size box of Honey Nut Cheerios were $7.59, which was $3 more than the cheapest option at Walmart Neighborhood Market.
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