Many people are unable to appreciate the love today because they believe that businesses are essentially attempting to take them for a ride in terms of their Valentine's Day purchases. 'Slack-filling' is a term used to describe large cardboard boxes that aren't exactly appealing, like going on a date only to realize that he stuffed a sock down his trousers.
Many people across the world are struggling with the cost of living that is rising, from the United States to Europe, all the way to Japan. We are seeing a marked up in prices for all of our basic necessities, from electricity to gas and water, as well as a rise in food costs. The United Kingdom is on the verge of being shut down as workers strike to protest these increases while their wages remain stagnant.
Consumers are complaining that on a holiday that is meant to make us warm and fuzzy inside (less so for singles, we're afraid), candy prices have risen by about 10%, but that does not mean you'll be getting more bang for your buck.
According to federal regulations in the United States,'slack-filling' is the difference between the actual capacity of a container and the volume of product contained therein. This isn't quite the same as'shrink-flation,' as many of us have come to know, where the price remains the same but the quantity is reduced.
Consumers have complained that well-known brands, such as Russell Stover and Whitman, have a lot more empty space than the packaging suggests. Other companies, like Ghirardelli and Russell Stover, have already been fined for doing exactly this in the past, having to pay $750,000 back in 2019 for deceiving consumers.
Companies want to continue to make the same income as they have ever done while also being less. They have increased the cost of their goods and made it appear as if we would be getting more as a result, only to be stuffed with hot air. So no, consumers are not feeling the love today, and we aren’t sure when we will again do so.