Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
SHRINK RAPPED
Thousands of products getting smaller as prices stay the same
THOUSANDS of products including chocolate have shrunk while prices have stayed put or even risen, research shows.
A five-year study found 2,529 shopping basket staples and treats have been hit by “shrinkflation”.
And people with a sweet tooth have been worst hit, as the price of chocolate bars, confectionery, jam and syrup went up 1.22%.
The Office for National Statistics said: “You’re not imagining it, some of your favourite sweets really are shrinking. Lots of the items we recorded had reduced in size or weight, mostly in the food and drink category.” It dismissed rising ingredient costs since last year’s EU referendum as the main cause.
ONS found sugar prices have fallen since 2014 and cocoa prices fell sharply in the last year. It added: “Our data shows shrinkflation has been used in practice consistently across the past five years.”
Earlier this year chocolate maker Mars blamed “rising raw materials and operational costs” for products such as Maltesers getting smaller.
Mcvitie’s dark chocolate Digestives shrank from 332g to 300g, but went up 10p. In household goods, Andrex cut 21 sheets from Classic loo rolls, Dettol axed four wipes from its Power & Pure Bathroom packs and a Sensodyne toothpaste went from 100ml to 75ml.
Alex Neil, of consumer group Which? said: “Manufacturers and retailers should make changes clear or risk people feeling cheated.”
The Food and Drink Federation insisted firms faced pressure from “sharp increases” in raw material costs and sterling’s falling strength.