Same price, less in pack.

FreddieM

This has been going on for a lot longer than the recent leaner times. Baked beans whether Heinz or Branston were 450g then 420g now 410g. Similarly with these special offer Loo Rolls Originally 240 sheets, some down to 200 sheets, Cushelle now offering 170 sheets AND, the width has also decreased. Two years ago Heinz tomato soup cost 23p a tin. I would challenge you to get a tin for less than 50p..... Usually the deal is 6 cans for the price of 4 which locally adds up to £3:00.... Yes that's what they do. It's called strategic marketing (Con the shopper). One Broadsheet reported a few weeks ago that retailers daren't increase their prices ( we know that's rubbish) So they decided to downsize the quantity, same look less product. Chewing gum packs Was 5 pack now 3 packs, 200g prepacked back bacon used to be 99p Now £1:49 (Average) for 184g.
BUT we will continue to shop, we rarerly complain and if we do it will go unheard. Nobody cares about how the consumer thinks because they have us ALL over a barrel..... Happy Shopping

maman

k3lvc wrote: »

Most confectionery (and many soft drinks) come in a variety of sizes of multipacks e.g. Mars do 3/4/5/6pks, Coke/Pepsi do 4/6/8pks. I'm not au fait with crisps but after yesterdays war of words re 'is a bag a unit of measure' we'll leave that one alone.

No-one thinks anyone is 'stupid' but retailers & manufacturers aren't charity and are in it to make money. If that means doing it from complacent or distracted shopped then so be it but for all the arguments about boycotting Tesco/Asda/Sainsburys etc I challenge you to find a retailer who plays by 'your' rules

But there's making money and taking the proverbial!

stephen77

maman wrote: »

But there's making money and taking the proverbial!

there are other industries with bigger margins and more people getting rich off the product than the food industry.

colin13

I think we the public have been too easily led by the big companies for years,it is only now that we are being squeezede very hard that we are starting to notice all these little things.the worm is turning

Itismehonest

Anyone else remember when we went to decimal currency?
Overnight most of the products we bought got rounded down in size but the price was kept pretty much to the sterling equivalent. Those things that didn't shrink suddenly got more expensive.
It's the oldest trick in the book.:(

zenseeker

It's either reduce the pack size or hike up the price, whichever way they choose to cover increasing costs you lot would be moaning so they can't win.

And here comes the tired old Creme Egg story. Creme Eggs are 39g, same as they have been for a long long time.

k3lvc

FreddieM wrote: »

This has been going on for a lot longer than the recent leaner times. Baked beans whether Heinz or Branston were 450g then 420g now 410g. Similarly with these special offer Loo Rolls Originally 240 sheets, some down to 200 sheets, Cushelle now offering 170 sheets AND, the width has also decreased. Two years ago Heinz tomato soup cost 23p a tin. I would challenge you to get a tin for less than 50p..... Usually the deal is 6 cans for the price of 4 which locally adds up to £3:00.... Yes that's what they do. It's called strategic marketing (Con the shopper). One Broadsheet reported a few weeks ago that retailers daren't increase their prices ( we know that's rubbish) So they decided to downsize the quantity, same look less product. Chewing gum packs Was 5 pack now 3 packs, 200g prepacked back bacon used to be 99p Now £1:49 (Average) for 184g.
BUT we will continue to shop, we rarerly complain and if we do it will go unheard. Nobody cares about how the consumer thinks because they have us ALL over a barrel..... Happy Shopping

But this is driven by a retail industry that's focussed it's energies on absolute price reckoning that if they're 1p more expensive on a key item then Mrs Smith will take her weekly shop elsewhere, rather than quality of experience and 'value' (not always financial).

Because of this they generally dictate the 'price' to a manufacturer who then has to create a product matching shopper needs, retailer aspirations (or rules) whilst still making enough to cover costs and build the brand/invest in New Product Development.

As shoppers we will continue to be unheard until we convince the retailers that we are prepared to accept reasonable price increase across the board (i.e. if on 1st April all prices increased by 2% would that have been better ?) - until then they will continue to play games with prices and manufacturers will continue to take the blame for 'conning the customer'

Edwardia

It seems to me that instead of grumbling amongst ourselves, we need to be moaning at the stores and/or manufacturers themselves. Cadbury's, Mars, Branston etc will all have websites with contact forms.

Also, if you get an opportunity to participate in a supermarket online/instore focus group or something, try to take the time to do it so the supermarket gets feedback.

When I decided to stop using ASDA I told them why, I told Morrisons what I like about their store and I participate in surveys online with Waitrose because I use it for all my internet deliveries.

In the end, getting it off your chest and making them aware that you're fed up with the downsizing etc will hopefully have some effect.

maman

Edwardia wrote: »

It seems to me that instead of grumbling amongst ourselves, we need to be moaning at the stores and/or manufacturers themselves. Cadbury's, Mars, Branston etc will all have websites with contact forms.

Also, if you get an opportunity to participate in a supermarket online/instore focus group or something, try to take the time to do it so the supermarket gets feedback.

When I decided to stop using ASDA I told them why, I told Morrisons what I like about their store and I participate in surveys online with Waitrose because I use it for all my internet deliveries.

In the end, getting it off your chest and making them aware that you're fed up with the downsizing etc will hopefully have some effect.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you Edwardia but I have tried. Most recently with a 'manager' from Asda. I complained about the fact there was a huge Rollback sign above the SP orange juice which I knew for a fact had gone up! I also enquired why when the price went up becasue of problems with the orange harvest did they not come down when everything was fine. He was patronising and used a lot of stupid jargon and what his answer amounted to was they put prices up because they could! I've also tried writing and again back comes patronising claptrap.

I'm now voting with my feet.