A Big Change Is Coming to FritoLay Chips

The rising cost of groceries has been rough on us all, and unfortunately, this also means we don’t always reach for the exact brand we might typically go for. Especially when it comes to snacks. Add shrinkflation—when product size is reduced and the retail cost remains the same—into the mix, and shoppers are understandably frustrated. A bag of potato chips can cost more than $6 and contain less chips than it used to.

PepsiCo, the parent company of FritoLay, understands those customers’ frustrations and announced earlier this week on an earnings call that it’s creating “bonus packs” that will contain 20% more product for some of its fan-favorite chips, noting that this change makes sense during the NFL season, when people are buying more finger foods for football game days.

New Ruffles and Tostitos Bonus Packs

What the new bonus packs will look like is unclear but we do know that Ruffles and Tostitos will be impacted. Will the packaging explicitly call out “bonus pack” or will the chips contain 20% more product during football season, then quietly revert to its smaller size afterward?

“For right now, we’re really focused on the consumer and stimulating demand,” PepsiCo’s vice president and Chief Financial Officer Jamie Caulfield said on the call. Caulfield also noted that as “business accelerates,” the company can put a little “emphasis on managing the margin,” which seems to mean that if the company is successful in stimulating demand, prices could go up again, or the bonus chips could disappear.

Shoppers should be on the lookout for these bonus packs because they might be the best deal right now. But those who need to stick to a budget should still be making price comparisons and be aware of the price fluctuations and the amount of product in the package fluctuations, which can change from week to week.