The Great 'Shrinking Food' Hunt

grumbler2

this product used to have 4 bags in a box for around £1.60. Now there are 3 bags in a box with no price reduction.

Petlamb

To the people saying "duh, production costs are higher, stop moaning":

Yes, I doubt anyone here has lived so far under a rock for the last few years that they haven't seen that basic cost items (oil, etc) have indeed risen in price. It's also reasonable, therefore, to say it makes sense for x amount of a product to go from costing £y to £y+whatever. The issue here though, is that for those people in particular who run a fairly tight ship, knowing "a loaf, a 12pk of loo roll and a tin each of x y and z" is what you need for what you're feeding your family, marketing like this can lead to a deficit - not only in produce but budget.

A plain-as-day price rise can actually be a lot easier to deal with, as it can be looked at and any affected budgets reassessed, however products shrinking, (especially when cunningly timed to coincide with packaging changes!) does feel sneaky to a great many consumers, and for all but the most eagle-eyed customers, skew meal plans!

I think we need to consider we're not all saying 'my chocolate bar is too small', but rather 'i only got 10 portions out of that pack and expected 14' - so not always a portion control issue as some have suggested... rather, a lack of portions!

Right, that may be my rant done... for now.

stingyscot

Highland Spring fizzy mineral water bottle reshaped and downsized from 2 litres to 1.5 litres.

sw1nn4

The favourites platter at Pizza Hut has just gone down from 4 items to 3, and I think it is the same price. They have printed new menus which look identical and as we go often we didn't bother reading it as we know what we like to have. Only to be shocked when the waitess said im afrid you can only have three things between the four of you now.

Soapy955

the Branston bottles of ketchup or brown sauce used to be £1 for 1kg sized bottles in Icelands a while ago. My mum pointed out that they are now 720g of ketchup and 730g of brown sauce and they are both still £1 each. Over a 25% size reduction for the same price!

mick_the_mod

MrChips wrote: »

Tropicana cartons have changed from 1.75 litres to 1.5 litres

Dho I just checKed mine, and difficult to spot the 1.5 as its a white font in amongst the orange pictures,

Freya_Hedgewytch

Alwaya sanitary towels - used to be 12 in a pack and 24 in the double packs - now noted to be 22 in the double pack.
Worth stocking up when they are buy one get one free!;)

ceridwen

Steel wrote: »

Yes, but the Index doesn't take account of that.

It's based on the prices of a basket of typical goods. So it just recognises a loaf of bread, not that the bread has shrunk by 50g since last time. Or a jar of pasta sauce and not the fact that the same jar is now 400g and not 500g anymore.

In the real world we end up spending more money. But not according to the world of the Index...

Then that is actually pretty worrying - as the Government must know this de-sizing is going on now (as a way of instituting crafty huge price rises) and yet is taking no account of it apparently. With this being the case - then I DO think Methusaleh has hit on a very good point here - as State Pensions on the one hand and benefits for those forced onto the dole (due to job loss) will be based on this "basket of typical goods". With that - it will mean they will be having a "real time" large cut in income unless the Government starts taking this de-sizing by manufacturers into account.

I DO hope the Government isnt planning on studiously ignoring this fact - and well done to Methusaleh for highlighting this point:T:A

MindySquidLovely

I bought some baby wet wipes from Tesco the other day and noticed that there are now 72 in a pack where previously there were 80. They still seem to be the same price though. Whatever happened to my missing wet wipes?!

yessica

shredded wheat has reduced its quantity to 16 from 18. 1 breakfast less per box