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Tweet of the Week #158: Potato Snacks Shrink in Japan

Calbee is making potato chip packages smaller and increasing the price.

By 2 min read

Shrinkflation is when goods get smaller, but prices stay the same. Consumers in Japan have been lamenting about their beloved snacks becoming smaller. 

This time around, the famous snack company Calbee announced a reduction in package quantities for their popular potato chips and sticks by April 2021. However, don’t count on the retail price dropping. It will increase! 

While we would all gain from eating less salty snacks, the price increase isn’t easy to swallow!

You Calbee serious

カルビーの「ポテトチップス」や「じゃがりこ」の内容ないようりょう減少げんしょう一部いちぶ商品しょうひん値上ねあげ が 来年らいねん1月いちがつ24日にじゅうよっかから順次じゅんじ開始かいしされますので、ねんのためおつたえさせていただきます。

“Just to be sure, I’d like to tell you that Calbee will reduce potato chips and jagarico content sizes and raise the prices of some products from January 24, 2022. Thank you for your understanding.”

Express ‘just to be sure’ in Japanese

Photo:
Calbee getting greedy.

The expression ねんのため (nennotame) translates to “just to be sure” or “just in case.” in English. The phrase is mainly used in formal written communication when you want to report, confirm or request something. While polite, “nennotame” also conveys a certain nuance of vagueness, so it’s best to use it with moderation in your communication at work.

Here are some examples:

  • 資料しりょう提出ていしゅつ期限きげんせまっておりますので、念のためご連絡れんらくいたします: The deadline for submission of materials is approaching, so we would like to contact you just in case.
  • 先日せんじつのクレーム内容ないようを、念のためご報告ほうこくいたします: I would like to report the contents of the recent complaint, just for your information.
  • おくりした開発かいはつ会議かいぎ日程にっていでよろしいでしょうか?念のため再送さいそういたします: Are you sure you want to use the development meeting schedule that I sent you? I will resend it to you just in case.
  • 念のため、前回ぜんかい資料しりょうをお送りいただけますでしょうか?: Just to be sure, could you please send me the previous documents?
  • 先日せんじつお送りした企画きかくあんはごらんいただけたでしょうか?ねんのため再送さいそういたしますのでご回答かいとうおねがいいたします:  Have you had a chance to look at the project proposal we sent you the other day? We will resend it to you just in case, so please respond.

Vocabulary

Japanese English Romaji
内容ないようりょう naiyouryou Content size
減少げんしょう genshou Reduction, decrease
一部いちぶ ichibu Some
商品しょうひん shouhin Product
値上ねあ neage Price increase
順次じゅんじ junji In order
開始かいしされる
kaishi Be initiated
ねんのため nen no tame To be sure, just in case
つたえる tsutaeru Communicate, convey

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