so then a 3x price increase is justified by ...

* labor (no, price for labor hasn't increased 3 fold)

* transport (no, the price for transport hasn't increased 3 fold)

... still looking for an explanation why prices would increase 3x, and allow the packaging to be redesigned to be 1/3 of the size but with new plastic (as opposed to cardboard/recycled) and be sold at the same price.

if you can lower the cost of the original product, shouldn't you also be able to avoid some shrinkflation/redesign/platicification?

It might mean a 3x increase in margins for the producer or reseller, as has been the case for a lot of the price increases seen after the pandemic.

Or, most realistically, it's a combination of all of these - some increase in labor and transport prices, some increase in the producer's margins and some in the reseller's. Not to mention various other intermediaries taking their own cuts.

But sea salt hasn't gone up 3X in price. You have to look at actual market rates, not the arbitrary price being charged by one single store that's raising prices because they can (and which they'll do for any product). Searching right now, I'm seeing around $0.60/lb for bulk sea salt, e.g.: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/regal-salt-sea-fine-25/1020... And note that it might be cheaper still from a local supplier if you go pick it up in person.

Or, to put it a different way, the responsibility is on you as a consumer to actually get the best price on whatever you're shopping for. Some retailers can raise the price arbitrarily high, but you don't need to fall for it.