Assistant Professor Katherine Harris-Lagoudakis and Professor John Crespi published an article in volume 142 of Food Policy. Harris-Lagoudakis, Crespi, and Xibo Wan of University of Connecticut authored "Shrinkflation, unit price disclosure, and consumer welfare: Evidence from canned tuna," which focuses on shrinkflation—the downsizing of packages without proportional price cuts—which the authors say can raise effective prices in ways that are often difficult for consumers to detect. The article uses a documented shrinkflation event combined with state-level variations in price disclosure rules to identify how information design affects consumer behavior and welfare and shows that consumers in regulated states are three times more responsive to unit price changes.
Shrinkflation, unit price disclosure, and consumer welfare: Evidence from canned tuna
Xibo Wan, Katherine Harris-Lagoudakis, and John Crespi
Food Policy 142:103106
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2026.103106