Haagen-Dazs shrinking its containers.

Haagen-Dazs has reported on its website that it has downsizing its iconic pint container from 16-oz. to 14-oz. The move was initiated in late January. The superpremium frozen dessert marketer explained the decision as being driven by economic concerns: "Over the past few years, the cost of all-natural ingredients, like fresh eggs, top-quality raspberries, and Madagascar vanilla, has increased by an average of 25%. The energy required to make and deliver our products has risen in cost as well, despite the recent dip in gasoline prices." The move has drawn criticism from Haagen-Dazs' chief rival, Ben & Jerry's, which noted that, while it understands that "in today's hard economic times businesses are feeling the pinch," it still believes "downsizing pints is downright wrong.

The Haagen-Dazs website notes that it did not consider reducing the quality of its ingredients or the care it takes in making its ice cream, sorbet, and frozen yogurt, choosing instead to "slightly reduce some of our carton sizes." The site further notes "From our carefully chosen ingredients to our distinctive craftsmanship, we're committed to making the finest ice cream available. We will never sacrifice quality or compromise our promise to use 100% all-natural ingredients. These are the principles on which the Haagen-Dazs brand was founded and it's what sets our brand apart."

In addition to reducing the size of it pint containers, the company also reports that in March all Haagen-Dazs branded 32 fl. oz. cartons will change to 28 fl. oz. The company further states, "This was a difficult decision. But we hope you'll agree that our promise to never sacrifice the quality of our ice cream--what we put in as well as what we leave out--is what the Haagen-Dazs brand is all about. The carton may have changed slightly, but your Haagen-Dazs ice cream has not. You can count on that."

In commenting on the move by Haagen-Dazs, Ben & Jerry's noted, "We also understand that many of you are also feeling the same, and think now more than ever you deserve your full pint of ice cream. We are even more committed today to lead with our values through the quality of our ingredients and how we source them to make the best ice cream possible. So, while our competitor may be experiencing a bit of shrinkage, rest assured that your Ben & Jerry's will still be standing tall in the freezer. Ben & Jerry's is dedicated to making the best ice cream and giving our consumers full value in every spoonful!"