Customer reveals maddening discovery after unboxing shipment of Snickers: ‘I’m livid’

Oversized candy bars make great holiday gifts or a nice surprise for friends and family, but misleading packaging can take away some of the joy.

One customer shared a frustrating instance of wasteful, deceptive business practices after finding just as much cardboard as candy in their Snickers yard. 

What’s happening?

In the r/shrinkflation subreddit, the poster shared a photo of the giant box of candy, which revealed a piece of cardboard in the center and nine candy bars on each side. While the box contained 18 bars, as the packaging promises, the customer seemed to feel a bit ripped off by Mars.

“Snickers ‘yard’ with hollow cardboard center,” they wrote in the post.

Some commenters said the OP got what they paid for and shouldn’t be upset, but others sympathized with them. 

“I’m LIVID!!” one commenter shared.

“I’ve seen this before— It does clearly say on the package that there are only 18 bars, but this is pretty disingenuous,” another said. 

“That’s not shrinkflation, it’s r/a******design and horrible (good) marketing,” another remarked.

Someone else had a good point about the waste, writing, “You gotta wonder how much money they’re burning in terms of shipping all this empty space.” 

Why is misleading packaging concerning?

Since the OP didn’t technically receive a yard of Snickers (though some commenters said if you lay them lengthwise, it would likely equal a yard), they may have reason to feel they didn’t get their money’s worth. Deceptive marketing hurts consumers’ wallets and may negatively impact companies if they lose brand loyalty.

Additionally, even though shrinking it would invalidate the football concept, the extra packaging contributes to unnecessary waste, which will likely pile up in landfills.

While cardboard is considered one of the most eco-friendly packaging materials, it releases a potent gas called methane as it breaks down in landfills, which makes the planet warmer and creates pollution. Plus, the additional packaging adds weight to the product, leading to more planet-warming pollution in shipping and transportation. 

Is Mars doing anything about this?

Mars has big plans for incorporating more sustainable packaging and has already realized some of its goals. The company reported that 61% of its consumer-facing packaging is now designed for circularity, meaning it’s reusable, recyclable, or compostable. It is currently redesigning 12,000 of its packaging components to be more eco-friendly and has eliminated 99% of PVC from packaging as of 2023.

Mars has relaunched several of its chocolate bars in Australia with certified paper-based packaging.

As for the Snickers yard, many consumers have shared their disappointment about the deceptive packaging. However, there’s no indication the company is doing anything to address the issue.

What’s being done about packaging waste more broadly?

Consumers are starting to call out major brands such as Coca-Cola and Kraft Heinz for deceptive packaging, which is helping to raise awareness about corporations’ environmental responsibility.

Customers can help drive change by supporting companies that use sustainable packaging and finding reusable alternatives for everyday plastic products, such as grocery bags and food containers.

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