• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

2

Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45

3

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

1

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

2

Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45

3

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Personal FinanceEconomy

Cookie Monster weighs in on shrinkflation. He’s not a fan

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 5, 2024, 10:35 AM ET
Photo of Cookie Monster
Cookie Monster is weighing in on the economy. Nathan Congleton—NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images

Joe Biden’s fight against shrinkflation has gained a blue, fuzzy, googly-eyed ally.

Recommended Video

Cookie Monster has taken to Twitter/X to decry the practice of smaller packaged goods for the same retail price. And as you might expect, it has lit a firestorm of controversy.

“Me hate shrinkflation! Me cookies are getting smaller. 😔,” Cookie Monster wrote, adding, “Guess me going to have to eat double da cookies!” in a follow-up tweet.

Me hate shrinkflation! Me cookies are getting smaller. 😔

— Cookie Monster (@MeCookieMonster) March 4, 2024

The message from the Muppet was the latest in a series of real-world check-ins from Sesame Street characters, all of which have gotten strong reactions on social media. On leap day, for instance, Bert’s Twitter/X account wrote, “Today is an extra day to sit quietly and stare out the window,” adding the #EmotionalWellBeing hashtag. And Elmo has had an especially broad reach, raising the ire of Ted Cruz when he got a COVID vaccination in 2022 (Cruz had previously barked at Big Bird for the same thing) and getting a tsunami of replies (some sarcastic, some harrowing) in January when he posted, “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?”

Cookie Monster may not have meant to comment directly on the economy, but that’s not stopping people from using it as a launching pad. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D.-Ohio) replied to the tweet, saying, “Big corporations shrink the size of their products without shrinking their prices, all to pay for CEO bonuses. People in my state of Ohio are fed up—they should get all the cookie they pay for.”

Senators Bob Casey and Elizabeth Warren also replied. And while no Republican senators commented, that didn’t stop some of Cookie Monster’s followers from blaming the current administration and wondering aloud about why he was posting political messaging. And, of course, someone suggested he buy Bitcoin.

Shrinkflation occurs when manufacturers reduce the size of their packaging but keep the price the same. It’s a way to charge consumers the same for less merchandise. Biden has referred to the practice as “a rip-off” and often addresses it at campaign events.

“For all we’ve done to bring prices down, there are still too many corporations in America ripping people off: price gouging, junk fees, greedflation, shrinkflation,” Biden said in January at South Carolina’s First in the Nation dinner.

The Fortune 500 Innovation Forum will convene Fortune 500 executives, U.S. policy officials, top founders, and thought leaders to help define what’s next for the American economy, Nov. 16-17 in Detroit. Apply here.
About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Personal Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Personal Finance

Full Coverage Car Insurance: What It Covers, What It Costs, and Who Needs It
Personal FinanceInsurance
Full Coverage Car Insurance: What It Covers, What It Costs, and Who Needs It
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
4 hours ago
Top CD rates from major banks June 11, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates from major banks on June 11, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
12 hours ago
Current price of Ethereum for June 11, 2026
Personal FinanceEthereum
Current price of Ethereum for June 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
12 hours ago
Current price of Bitcoin for June 11, 2026
Personal FinanceCryptocurrency
Current price of Bitcoin for June 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
12 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
Personal FinanceOil
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
12 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Thursday, June 11, 2026
Personal Financesilver
Current price of silver as of Thursday, June 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
12 hours ago

Most Popular

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Energy
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
By Sasha RogelbergJune 10, 2026
1 day ago
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
Innovation
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
By Amanda GerutJune 9, 2026
2 days ago
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
3 days ago
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
Environment
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
12 hours ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.