Many families facing financial challenges due to rising living costs are now being confronted with a new trend known as ‘shrinkflation’, according to consumer advocacy group Which?.
Major brands have reportedly downsized or altered the quality of popular products like toothpaste, coffee, and heartburn medication, maintaining the same price. Consumers were requested to provide instances of shrinkflation where the size or quantity of a product had been reduced while the cost remained constant at supermarkets in recent times.
Examples included Aquafresh Complete Care Original Toothpaste, which transitioned from 100ml for £1.30 to 75ml for £2 at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Ocado – resulting in a 105% price increase per 100ml. Additionally, shoppers noted reductions in the size of Gaviscon Heartburn and Indigestion Liquid from 600ml to 500ml, with Sainsbury’s maintaining the price at £14, reflecting a 20% rise per 100ml.
Sainsbury’s Scottish Oats were also found to have reduced from 1kg to 500g, with the price climbing from £1.25 to £2.10, marking a 236% increase per 100g, as per Which? findings.
Furthermore, KitKat Two-Finger Milk Chocolate Bar multipacks were observed to decrease from 21 bars to 18 units. Despite the reduction, prices at Ocado surged from £3.60 to £5.50, the report stated.
Consumers eyeing chocolate tubs for the upcoming holiday season might notice lighter packages this year, cautioned the consumer watchdog. Quality Street chocolate tubs were trimmed from 600g to 550g, with the price of the smaller tub at Morrisons escalating from £6 to £7.
In addition, Cadbury’s multipacks of Freddo and Fudge bars shrunk from five bars to four at Morrisons, Ocado, and Tesco, with prices remaining unchanged at £1.40, as per the report.
Reena Sewraz, the Retail editor at Which?, expressed concern, stating that households facing financial strain, especially with rising food costs and the approaching holiday season, are being adversely affected by manufacturers reducing product sizes or altering key ingredients without clear communication. She emphasized the importance of supermarkets providing transparent pricing for consumers to make informed decisions.
Representatives from Mondelez International and Nestle acknowledged the challenges posed by increased production costs