Families grappling with the rising cost of living are facing a fresh challenge termed ‘shrinkflation’, as per findings by consumer group Which?. Major brands have been observed to reduce the size or quality of popular products, such as toothpaste, coffee, and heartburn medicine, while maintaining the same prices. Consumers shared instances of shrinkflation in supermarkets where products’ sizes or quantities were decreased without a corresponding price reduction.
For instance, Aquafresh Complete Care Original Toothpaste was priced at £1.30 for 100ml but now costs £2 for 75ml at various retailers, resulting in a substantial price increase per 100ml. Similarly, Gaviscon Heartburn and Indigestion Liquid bottles shrank from 600ml to 500ml while maintaining a price of £14 at Sainsbury’s, marking a notable price surge per 100ml.
Which? also highlighted the reduction in size of Sainsbury’s Scottish Oats from 1kg to 500g, coupled with a price hike from £1.25 to £2.10, representing a significant increase per 100g.
Furthermore, changes were noted in KitKat Two-Finger Milk Chocolate Bar multipacks, which decreased from 21 bars to 18, with prices rising at certain retailers. Quality Street chocolate tubs were downsized from 600g to 550g at Morrisons, with the price for the smaller tub raised from £6 to £7.
Additionally, multipacks of Cadbury’s Freddo and Fudge bars were reduced from five bars to four at select supermarkets without a price adjustment.
Reena Sewraz, the Retail editor at Which?, expressed concerns about the financial strain on households, especially with upcoming expenses like Christmas. She emphasized the need for supermarkets to be transparent about pricing, urging clear and consistent unit pricing for easy comparison.
Notably, Mondelez International and Nestle, makers of Cadbury and KitKat products, respectively, cited increasing costs of ingredients such as cocoa and higher production expenses as reasons for adjustments in product sizes. The Food and Drink Federation also highlighted industry-wide cost pressures, including rising ingredient prices and additional taxes, leading to necessary product modifications to maintain affordability for consumers.