This article is from NewsNet5.

“Every few months, NewsChannel5 consumer reporter John Matarese finds himself reporting on shrinking products that give you less for your money. But the latest product to shrink is not doing it the usual way. Instead of getting smaller, he said it’s getting skinnier.

Did the Wall Holder Grow?

Ben Hart was preparing to spend some quality time on the throne recently, when he noticed the new roll of TP didn’t fit the holder quite right. It was too small.

He said his wife spotted it too. Hart said, “We normally buy Quilted Northern, and we noticed the package was pink to benefit breast cancer. But when we got home and put in in the holder, my wife noticed the rolls also seemed smaller.”

Significantly Skinnier

Hart compared the new roll to an older package of Northern. Both say “9 Double Rolls equal 18 Regular Rolls,” so they appear to be the same. But Hart said the roll of new Quilted Northern is significantly skinnier, and now wobbles in the holder. The reason, Hart said, is that “you can see there’s this 1/2 inch difference in width in the product.”

Hart found the new rolls also give you fewer squares per roll too, down from 300 sheets to 286 sheets. He did some basic math, and says “it’s a 51 and a half square foot difference, that’s quite a bit.”

Is Your Backside Getting Skinnier?

Georgia Pacific, which makes Quilted Northern, said in a statement to customers “because of today’s economy, we made the decision to slightly reduce the roll, and not raise our price.” But Hart said he’d be willing a pay a bit more for wider roll.

“I don’t know why they just don’t raise the price.” After all, he said, unlike toilet tissue, most of us are not getting any skinnier in our backsides.

The “Bottom” Line

If your roll seems too skinny for your holder, it may be a good time to try other brands because not all of them are doing this. Matarese said it’s easier switching brands than replacing your toilet paper holder.