Shoppers Don’t Buy Manufacturers’ Tactics

“Higher Prices a Tough Sell to Shoppers” (Feb. 16) unwittingly defines the battle between the consumer and the manufacturer: Consumers are asked to swallow a small price increase so companies can continue to grow.

Frankly, as a consumer, my purpose in buying products is to satisfy my needs, to find them reasonably priced and with quality ingredients.

Unless I am a stockholder, I couldn’t care less about whether a company grows or not. And I resent the idea that I would be willing to pay even a slightly higher price so that the company’s bottom line improves.

I don’t buy products to help improve the manufacturer’s profits, but to improve my life or fill specific needs.

W.S. Haas

West Hollywood

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As have all seen recently, the spending of these corporate giants on themselves (the mucky-mucks) never diminishes. How many homes, cars, yachts, vacations, limos that come “off the top” of their profits do they need in order to be content and survive?

Eileen Johnson

Woodland Hills

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Price increases are pretty inevitable, but there are ways and ways of doing it.

I am always angered when the price of a packaged food item stays the same but the quantity in the package is reduced. Coffee cans used to hold 1 pound; now 12 ounces is the norm. I am particularly bothered when this type of sneaky deal is done on an item such as tuna.

My brand started out around 40 years ago with 7-ounce cans. Over the years, the amount has been decreased by eighths, so that a can now holds 6 ounces. This sounds minor but makes a difference when using the tuna in a recipe. One can should provide two servings; eventually, I suspect, it will be one can per person.

I would much rather the producers be honest and raise prices out in the open, instead of giving us less food per package.

Julie May

Los Angeles