From margarine to chocolate treats, some brands are swapping in cheaper ingredients to save money on their most beloved products. It’s a trend known as “skimpflation.” But what happens when consumers start to notice?

On today’s Big Take podcast, Stacey Vanek Smith hears from Brad Reese, grandson of the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup creator, about his crusade against the practice, the multi-million-dollar cottage industry that’s formed around it and the economic conditions that got us here in the first place.

Read more: How Brands Sneak In Cheaper Ingredients to Protect Their Profit Margins

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From margarine to chocolate treats, some brands are swapping in cheaper ingredients to save money on their most beloved products. It&rsquo;s a trend known as &ldquo;skimpflation.&rdquo; But what happens when consumers start to notice?
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, Stacey Vanek Smith hears from Brad Reese, grandson of the Reese&rsquo;s Peanut Butter Cup creator, about his crusade against the practice, the multi-million-dollar cottage industry that&rsquo;s formed around it and the economic conditions that got us here in the first place.
Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-14/from-chocolate-to-orange-juice-more-brands-sneak-in-cheaper-ingredients?srnd=phx-businessweek">How Brands Sneak In Cheaper Ingredients to Protect Their Profit Margins</a>
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts">Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.</a>

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

Big Take

‘Skimpflation’ Could Be the Sneakiest Consumer Grift

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b66d3747-a46d-4ff6-acb6-b4970162d7b6/transcript