Everything is more expensive. And it keeps getting more expensive every day. Yes, okay, the price of eggs has gone down. But everything else is stupid expensive. And chips are one of the main offenders.
According to mlive.com, the average price of potato chips in the Midwest has gone up more than $2(!!) over the past five years; from around $4 to nearly $6.50. And don’t even get me started on shrinkflation (unless you want to hear my tight five—it’s not quite ready for the stage yet). Well, it seems I am not the only one griping and moaning about how much chips cost these days. Because PepsiCo just announced that it is going to lower the price of some of its snack products. We’re talking Lay’s, Cheetos, Doritos, and Tostitos—all of them are getting a price cut.
How much cheaper are these snacks getting?
According to a press release, PepsiCo is lowering prices by 15%, and it’s happening ASAP. That means a $6 bag of Cool Ranch Doritos (the best Doritos flavor, imo) will now cost $5. It’s not bringing us back to 2020 prices, but it’s a start!
Why is PepsiCo being so suspiciously nice?
While I’m sure a lot of calculations were done behind the scenes and this somehow benefits the company more than the people, it does seem like PepsiCo is actually addressing complaints. “We’ve spent the past year listening closely to consumers, and they’ve told us they’re feeling the strain,” says Rachel Ferdinando, CEO, PepsiCo Foods U.S. “Lowering the suggested retail price reflects our commitment to help reduce the pressure where we can. Because people shouldn’t have to choose between great taste and staying within their budget.”
This isn’t the first time PepsiCo has course-corrected. In 2024, the company responded to backlash against “shrinkflation” by offering “bonus bags” containing 20% more chips for the same cost as regular bags. They also added two extra small chip bags to their variety packs without raising the price. Again, it’s not perfect. But it’s something.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!