Families facing financial strains are grappling with a recent surge in ‘shrinkflation’, as per findings by consumer group Which?. Major brands have downsized or altered the quality of various popular items, ranging from toothpaste and coffee to heartburn medication. Consumers were asked to provide instances of shrinkflation – a practice where the size or quantity of a product is reduced while the price remains constant – observed in supermarkets in recent times.
Examples included Aquafresh Complete Care Original Toothpaste, which transitioned from £1.30 for 100ml to £2 for 75ml at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Ocado, marking a 105% increase in price per 100ml. Shoppers also noted Gaviscon Heartburn and Indigestion Liquid bottles shrinking from 600ml to 500ml, with the price remaining at £14 at Sainsbury’s, equating to a 20% rise per 100ml according to Which?. Furthermore, Sainsbury’s Scottish Oats reduced from 1kg to 500g, with the price climbing from £1.25 to £2.10, indicating a 236% increase per 100g.
Moreover, KitKat Two-Finger Milk Chocolate Bar multipacks at Ocado decreased from 21 bars to 18, alongside a price hike from £3.60 to £5.50. Shoppers eyeing chocolate tubs for the upcoming festive season may notice lighter boxes this year, with Quality Street chocolate tubs shrinking from 600g to 550g at Morrisons, where the price surged from £6 to £7.
Conversely, Cadbury’s multipacks of Freddo and Fudge bars at Morrisons, Ocado, and Tesco dropped from five bars to four, with the price remaining unchanged at £1.40.
Which? Retail editor Reena Sewraz emphasized the importance of supermarkets being transparent about pricing for consumers to easily discern the best value. Manufacturers cited rising input costs, particularly for ingredients like cocoa and dairy, as reasons for product downsizing. Mondelez International and Nestle acknowledged cost increases, stating that recipe adjustments and efficiency improvements are made to maintain affordability for shoppers.
The Food and Drink Federation highlighted significant cost escalations for manufacturers, attributing them to various factors such as cocoa price spikes, national insurance hikes, and packaging taxes. These challenges necessitated product modifications to continue offering consumers their favorite food and drinks at reasonable prices.