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Let's boycott Betty Crocker for shrinking mixes!

post #1 of 24
9/23/11 at 10:11pm
Thread Starter 
If you still haven't heard, Betty Crocker mixes are now 15.5 ounces, NOT 18.5 ounces.

Here's what I wrote to Betty Crocker:

"I am an avid blogger and avid cake decorator. Shame on you for making your cake mixes smaller. Did you think we wouldn't notice?

There are quite a few forums and blogs running right now with photos of your "old" 18.25 box and your sneaky, underhanded, "cheat" box, 15.25 oz.

My family and I have been purchasing your mixes for 40 years, UNTIL NOW. This is not a good decision. Very unhappy, and VERY VOCAL BLOGGING consumer here."

THIS IS BETTY CROCKER'S REPLY:

"Thank you for contacting General Mills regarding our Betty Crocker SuperMoist cake mixes. I am sorry to hear for your disappointment. Your comment is very important to us and will be shared to the product team.

We are committed to making a difference in the lives of our consumers. Feedback such as yours is important to the nature of our business.

Consumer appeal and product re-alignment within a product category are some of the reasons this is done to our product packaging. This change helps us keep our cake affordable while maintaining the great taste of Betty Crocker cake mixes that consumers love. No ingredients have been added or removed in the formulation of the dry mix. Only the amount or weight of some of the ingredients already in the dry mix has been changed. This innovation bakes virtually the same size cake in the same 9x13 pan, while continuing to deliver great taste, high quality, and real value.

We appreciate your loyalty and the time you took to contact us. Again, please be assured that we will share your thoughts with the appropriate individuals.

Sincerely, Imee B. Roberts, Consumer Services"

Several people have contacted Duncan Hines and Duncan Hines has stated they have no intention of changing their mixes.

I don't mind products changing, but when those products have been specifically sized to fit bakeware for the past 50 years, that's a whole different story. Raise the price, don't reduce the product. I don't know if we can make a difference, but I'm not going to purchase Betty Crocker again.
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post #2 of 24
9/24/11 at 6:22am
Unfortunately this is exactly what alot of companies are doing...smaller sized product means more profits...you are seeing it everywhere now...It is your decision to do whatever you feel necessary but someday soon I'm sure DH and Pilsbury will follow suit.It is just plain clever marketing!
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Busy Bakin Kakes For Kids!!!

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post #3 of 24
9/24/11 at 6:36am
I am not sure DH has not changed. I teach a kids class and on certain weeks I supply 6 inch cakes. I have always been able to get 3 out of one mix. This week I had to add a little extra batter to each pan to get a full 2 inches.
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post #4 of 24
9/24/11 at 7:24am
I am with you Apti. I am sick and tired of being silently scammed, because these large companies think I'm too stupid to figure the whole thing out. I'm tired of large company execs trying to figure out more ways to line their pockets while the small consumer is the one who bears the burden of an ever rising economy. Let's try to pass the word along. I will not purchase anymore Betty Crocker products (not just box cake mixes but all Betty Crocker Products).
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If you are a newbie you might want to check out
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post #5 of 24
9/24/11 at 7:30am
I only used BC for two doctored recipes, so there is no way I am going to buy another BC box mix. In fact I have already returned one mix to the grocery store because I didn't realize I had purchased one of the new, smaller ones. I knew I wasn't going to risk wasting the other ingredients on the re sized product.

I too complained to General Mills and received the same canned reply. They don't care what we think. It is they are going to make a lot of money with the new sized product. The change in size is going to save them about $.30 a box.(retail)
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post #6 of 24
9/24/11 at 8:18am
I used BC for Wasc the other day.. the smaller box... Its yielded the same amount of cake... Almost seems like its a little fluffier. It even rose more even than normal. While it sucks that there is less in the box.. I liked the outcome better.. So I'm staying.
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post #7 of 24
9/24/11 at 9:36am
A lot of posters say they are willing to pay extra but to the company how many of these posters make up their customer base and purchase large quantities when the mixes arent on sale? The mixes are formulated for the occasional home baker and while the occasional home baker may notice the box is smaller but wont care as long as they get a 9x13 or 2 rounds. They arent running a business and depend on the mixes to be a certain size.

General mills has a mix for bakeries which probably hasnt changed.
Our chronic flaw is partiality of judgement: we exaggerate the wrongs done to ourselves, and underestimate the wrongs we inflict on others - unknown
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Our chronic flaw is partiality of judgement: we exaggerate the wrongs done to ourselves, and underestimate the wrongs we inflict on others - unknown
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post #8 of 24
9/24/11 at 10:49am
My issue with them is that not only did they reduce the size, but they also increased the price. I also have people who really like the flavor of the BC mixes (I modify the mix) and want to be sure I can still provide the same finished product.
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post #9 of 24
9/24/11 at 11:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by myslady

A lot of posters say they are willing to pay extra but to the company how many of these posters make up their customer base and purchase large quantities when the mixes arent on sale?


Exactly. Businesses are often happy to lose the most price-sensitive customers, since when you only buy their product on sale you aren't making them as much money as people who buy full price (and in the case of loss leaders you are costing them money).

As a bakery owner I increase prices by 3-5% per year to keep pace with increasing costs for ingredients, labor, and overhead. If my products are starting to price out of what my local market will pay, I will find other ways to compensate, including reducing product size. Businesses that don't follow this strategy will find themselves losing market share and could fail altogether.
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post #10 of 24
9/24/11 at 11:48am
I'm telling you try it before just don't buy it anymore. I really saw little to no difference...
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post #11 of 24
9/24/11 at 11:51am
I'm starting a line of 6" cakes. In many situations, an 8" or 9" is just not necessary. This helps the customer's budget and I may get a sale that I may not have otherwise gotten.

As for national brands, they know what they are doing. Their prices have increased too, so it is not necessarily true that they are lining their pockets. In this economy where prices of goods are rising for everyone, a company can only do a few things to protect their bottom line... increase price, decrease quantity, cheapen the product, or reduceexpenses. It makes sense that at virtually a $1.00 pricepoint, that the consumer for this product is budget-conscious. Cheapening the product would involve R&D, which is not cheap. They did exactly what the consumer wanted them to do.

And, by the way, this is America. There is nothing wrong with making a profit... as much as you can. We are all trying to do it. Don't begrudge the big companies who have developed, produced, marketed, and sold a product so popular that it went national. It's the American dream still alive and well even in this economy.
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post #12 of 24
9/24/11 at 12:12pm
I'm confused. In the reply, is the company saying that the new, smaller size box yields the same result volume-wise (9x13 cake) as before? How can that be?
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post #13 of 24
9/24/11 at 12:35pm
I, too, wonder how that can be. When I read the back of the box in the store, I was quite surprised to see that it calls for the same amount of eggs, oil, water, etc. So, again, how can that be?
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post #14 of 24
9/24/11 at 1:00pm
They changed the amounts of the ingreedients to something that will give the same volume as before but at a different weight.
Our chronic flaw is partiality of judgement: we exaggerate the wrongs done to ourselves, and underestimate the wrongs we inflict on others - unknown
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Our chronic flaw is partiality of judgement: we exaggerate the wrongs done to ourselves, and underestimate the wrongs we inflict on others - unknown
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post #15 of 24
9/24/11 at 1:32pm
I personally, don't use BC, but I imagine as others have said on here, that other companies will soon follow in BC's foot steps. Has anyone check to see if the ingredients have changed? Are they adding a filler that doesn't affect weight yet allows for there to be the same yield in the batter?
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