CONFECTIONERY giants Cadbury and Mars have been blasted for slashing packs of chocolate by almost 11%- without reducing the price.
Sweet-toothed fans blasted the “greedy” firms after discovering the size of popular grab bags had been melted down, becoming the latest victim of supermarket ‘shrinkflation’.
Shrinkflation is when companies shrink the size or quantity of a product while keeping the price the same – usually in a bid to lower costs due to inflating prices.
The shrunken pouches were being advertised as “new” on the shelves at one Tesco store, with the former larger products no longer available to purchase online.
Galaxy Minstrels More to Share pouches have been quietly decreased from 217g to 195g – a reduction of more than 10% – despite maintaining a £2.75 price tag.
It means that sweet-toothed customers are forking out 10p extra per 100g for the crunchy chocolate goods.
And Cadbury favourites such as Oreo Bites, Bitsa Wispa and Crunchie Rocks have been eaten away by 9% whilst the cost has remained at the same £1.75 per bag.
Mum-of-one Alice Treliving, 29, of Wantage, Oxon, told The Sun: “It’s absolutely ridiculous, even the small pleasures are being quietly made more expensive.
“It’s so sad, these packs are specifically designed to be shared between groups of people.
“We used to be able to grab a sweet treat without a second glance, but now we have to double check that we’re getting value for our money.
“It’s these greedy firms, these changes come from the top down and we’re the ones who are ultimately missing out.”
Other affected Mars products include Peanut M&M’s, which have been reduced from 125g to 112g.
While 102g bags of Maltesers have been cut to just 93g.
A Mars Wrigley UK spokesperson said: “At Mars Wrigley, our focus is always on offering great tasting, high quality chocolate at the best possible value.
“We have been actively looking at ways to absorb the rising costs of raw materials and operations, but unfortunately, the growing pressures mean that more needs to be done.
“Reducing the size of some of our products, whilst raising prices, is not a decision we have taken lightly but it is necessary for shoppers to still be able to enjoy their favourite treats without compromising on quality or taste.”
A spokesperson from Mondelēz International said: “We understand the economic pressures that consumers continue to face and any changes to our product sizes is a last resort for our business.
“However, as a food producer, we are continuing to experience significantly higher input costs across our supply chain, with ingredients such as cocoa and dairy, which are widely used in our products, costing far more than they have done previously.
“Meanwhile, other costs like energy and transport, also remain high. This means that our products continue to be much more expensive to make and while we have absorbed these costs where possible, we still face considerable challenges.
“As a result of this difficult environment, we have had to make the decision to slightly reduce the weight of some products so that we can continue to provide consumers with the brands they love, without compromising on the great taste and quality they expect.”
What is shrinkflation?
Shrinkflation is when manufacturers reduce the size or quantity of a product, while keeping the price the same, explains consumer editor Lynsey Barber.
Prices are rising and food and drink makers are reluctant to pass this on to consumers.
Instead, shrinking the item means the price tag doesn’t change. But shoppers get less for their money.
Some manufacturers have even put UP the price at the same time as making products smaller.
Another tactic used is known as skimpflation.
This is when the recipe of food and drink is changed to try and reduce production costs.
But shoppers still pay the same, or more.
It means shoppers won’t pay more when costs increase for the company making the item – but they will get less product.
Smaller products are easier for customers to digest compared to increasing prices, making it a popular option for manufacturers as it’s less noticeable.
Why is shrinkflation a problem?
Shrinkflation is causing massive problems for shoppers across the world.
It is when manufacturers shrink the size or quantity of a product while keeping the price the same.
This means that consumers will be paying more per given amount.
Rising the price per gram is a well-oiled strategy used by companies to stealthily boost profit margins or to cement them in times of rising input costs.
Companies will often engage in shrinkflation when their production costs begin to rise.
A heavy hit to profit margins may force the company to simply shrink its products rather than increase the sticker price.
One of the best ways to notice shrinkflation is by spotting a redesign on the packaging or a new slogan.
This may mean the company has made a change and that change may just be the size of the product.
It is mainly seen in the food and beverage industries but can also happen in almost all markets.
It is a form of hidden inflation as shrinkflation often goes unnoticed by customers.
Companies run the risk of turning customers away from a product or brand if they notice they are getting less for the same price.
Other victims of shrinkflation
Most recently, some Christmas chocs were branded the latest victims of the practice.
Which? discovered the festive shrinkflation cuts last December.
Cadbury announced it would bring back its chocolate-filled Mini Snowballs this year. But Which? noticed the family-sized bag had shrunk from 296g to 270g.
Despite this smaller size, the consumer group said its price had increased as fans paid 20% more for 9% less chocolate, compared to this time last year.
It discovered this change at major supermarkets like Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, and Waitrose.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only Christmassy Cadbury product to affected.
The medium Santa selection box fell from 145g to 125g, despite a huge 59% price increase at Morrisons.
Another festive chocolate victim was Nestlé’s Dairy Box, which now has 36 treats instead of 40 in the winter collection.
Elsewhere, Felix Original pouches went from 100g to 85g last year, but the pricier As Good As It Looks ones remained at 100g.
In January, they also were shrunk down to 85g with the cost remaining the same at around £5 for a box of 12 or £15 for a box of 40.
Customers who shop around might be able to find a deal, like in Tesco at the moment the 12-packs are £4 if you have a Clubcard.
But the change in the size has outraged cat owners who have complained on various platforms that they will now have to buy more pouches.
One said on Trustpilot: “Just bought Felix As Good As It Looks from Tesco for usual £5.00 price for twelve, only to discover that the size of pouches has been reduced from 100g to 85g.
A Purina Spokesperson: “As part of our transition into new mono material pouches, all Felix AGAIL skus [stock keeping units] are moving to a new 85g pouch weight.
“This packaging can be taken back to front of store to be recycled in the UK and can be recycled at kerbside in Ireland.
Elsewhere, Febreze caused a stink last November after reducing the size of its air fresheners while charging customers the same amount.
In July, customers were left furious after 600g boxes of Celebrations were slashed to 550g.
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