Shrinkflation boycott

How shoppers are avoiding products that got smaller

SHOPPERS are fighting back against shrinkflation, with one in five boycotting downsized products that have not been reduced in price.

Two in three shoppers say they have noticed that big brands and supermarkets are shrinking pack sizes without offering any discount.

At the weekend, The Mail on Sunday highlighted how the tactic of imposing stealth price rises by shrinking portions was escalating, with many household-name products involved.

Among the big brands in the dock are Fairy Liquid, Pringles, Lurpak, Cadbury, Whiskas, Andrex, Hellmann’s, McVitie’s, Warburtons, Walkers, Colgate, Head & Shoulders and Magnum.

At the same time, leading supermarkets have cut the size of everything from ready meals to packs of chicken wings and other household essentials.

A report from Barclays published today said: ‘Amid ongoing concerns around rising food prices (88 per cent), two thirds (65 per cent) of shoppers have noticed that some products are now being sold in smaller package or portion sizes, yet cost the same or more than they used to – otherwise known as “shrinkflation”. The products most frequently cited as being impacted by shrinkflation are chocolate (50 per cent), crisps (40 per cent), packs of biscuits (39 per cent) and snack bars (35 per cent).’

It added: ‘In response, a fifth of consumers ( 20 per cent) are switching away from products which have been downsized by manufacturers in favour of buying products in bulk which offer better value for money.’ The Barclays report combines hundreds of millions of customer transactions with consumer research to provide an in-depth view of UK spending.

The British Retail Consortium says that shrinking pack sizes does not mislead shoppers, and the price and quantity are always stated on packs.