Latest news with #shrinkflation
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Freddo chocolate hit by shrinkflation AGAIN as Cadbury slashes the number of bars in £1.40 multipack
Freddo, the chocolate bar often jokingly cited as a bellwether for rising prices in the UK, has become the victim of 'shrinkflation' once again amid a cut to its multipack offering. The 18g chocolate bar, produced by Cadbury Dairy Milk, was once priced at 10p per unit but has gradually risen in cost over the years - much to the dismay of chocoholics in the UK. The single confectionery item, which now costs 35p, has been held up among foodies as the epitome of inflation and a commentary on the state of the British economy. Now, it has now been revealed that multipacks of the bar have shrunk in size by 20 per cent - but the price of the packs remain the same. Analysis by The Grocer has revealed multipacks of Cadbury Freddo have been reduced in volume. The publication revealed that former Freddo 5x18g and Freddo Caramel 5x19.5g multipacks were both priced at £1.40 in Tesco, as of 28 May 2025. But now the number of individual bars in packs have been slashed, with each now only containing four Freddo treats rather than the previous standard five pack. Tesco is now selling Freddo 4x18g and Freddo Caramel 4x19.5g multipacks at the exact same price of £1.40. At the time of writing, Morrisons is selling both old multipacks of five, and new ones of four, for £1.40. Meanwhile in Sainsbury's, multipacks are still currently five bars large, and are retailing for £1.40. A spokesperson for Cadbury owner Mondelez confirmed to the publication that manufacturers had cut pack sizes by 20 per cent, blaming 'significantly higher input costs' for the volume decrease. They said cocoa and dairy costs were now 'far more' and that energy and transport prices were still high too. The statement read: 'This means that our products continue to be much more expensive to make and while we have absorbed these costs where possible, we still face considerable challenges.' 'As a result of this difficult environment, we have had to make the decision to slightly reduce the weight of our Cadbury Dairy Milk Freddo multipacks so that we can continue to provide consumers with the brands they love, without compromising on the great taste and quality they expect. ' Just months earlier, fans of the confectionery were left fuming after the 18g frog bar was spotted on sale for a whopping £1. Analysis by the publication revealed that former Freddo 5x18g and Freddo Caramel 5x19.5g multipacks were both pries at £1.40 in Tesco, as of 28 May 2025. But now the number of individual bars in packs have been slashed, with each now only containing four Freddo treats rather than the previous standard five pack Last year, to celebrate 200 years of Cadbury, the supermarket giant Sainsbury's temporarily returned the bars to their original price of 10p for Nectar card users. It comes just two months after the confectionery giant reduced the size of its Twirl multipacks in a similar move to lessen the impact of soaring manufacturing costs. The publication reported that new packs of Twirls contained nine instead of ten chocolate bar. Moreover, Mondelez recently replaced 110g packs of Cadbury Crunchie Rocks, Twirl Bites, Wispa Bites, and Oreo Bites with 100g bags. Last month, Cadbury announced it is launching a new chocolate bar in the UK. The latest offering from the Birmingham-based confectionary giant is the Iced Latte Dairy Milk chocolate bar. According to the brand, the snack combines cream and biscuit pieces alongside its Dairy Milk chocolate. However, the new bar - which is set to launch in early June - won't be around forever. As a limited edition release, fans of the brand will have to make sure they get their hands on the bar quickly, or they risk missing out on the new flavour. The bar has a unique twist and it's nothing to do with the flavour - it's all about the packaging. Cadbury's upcoming bar is wrapped in a temperature-activated packet, which means that when the bar is chilled in the fridge, the packaging transforms. The brand has used thermochromic technology, to make the classic Cadbury purple change to a deep blue when it gets cold. As well as its new flavour, Cadbury will be offering four limited edition Dairy Milk bars in the colour-changing packaging. They will be sold under what it's calling its 'Cadbury Dairy Milk Chilled' range.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Calls to legally require supermarkets to reveal ‘shrinkflation' to customers
Supermarkets would be forced to tell their customers if they want them to 'pay more for less' under proposals designed to tackle 'shrinkflation'. The Liberal Democrats want government legislation amended to legally require large supermarkets to inform shoppers when the quantity of goods within a pre-packaged product has decreased thereby increasing the price per unit of measurement. Details of the changes would need to be attached or placed alongside the product for a 60-day period, according to the amendment tabled to the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill. Digestive biscuits, butter, crisps and chocolate bars were among the items found to have decreased in size while their unit cost increased, according to 2024 research by Compare the Market. MPs could be asked to vote on the Lib Dem proposal on Wednesday when the Bill returns to the Commons for its report stage. Lib Dem trade spokesman Clive Jones said: 'The scourge of shrinkflation needs to be exposed. 'Shoppers have been hammered during a cost-of-living crisis all while massive companies and big supermarket chains are forcing them to pay more for less to protect their bottom lines. 'They need to be called out on it and for shoppers to know when they are at risk of being ripped off. 'The Government should accept this Liberal Democrat amendment so that we can help protect shoppers and their already stretched household budgets from another round of shrinkflation.' The Bill as a whole gives powers to ministers to regulate the marketing and use of goods in the UK after Brexit. It was previously amended in the House of Lords to provide protections to the imperial pint measure to ease fears over its future. The changes accepted by the Government would bar ministers from preventing or restricting the use of the pint in relation to draught beer, cider or milk in returnable containers. It also provides a definition of a pint as 0.56826125 cubic decimetres. A Department for Business and Trade spokesman said: 'We're committed to protecting consumers from unfair commercial practices and making sure they have all the information they need to make informed decisions on purchases. 'That's why we're bringing in strict new laws next year to make sure businesses use clearer labelling for prices on supermarket shelves, and retailers show all unit prices in either kilograms or litres to improve clarity for shoppers.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Calls to tell shoppers if they are buying food items hit by shrinkflation
Liberal Democrats are pushing for a legal requirement that supermarkets notify shoppers when the quantity of a pre-packaged product has been reduced, leading to a higher unit price, a practice known as " shrinkflation." The proposed amendment to the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill would require large supermarkets to display details of these changes on or next to the product for 60 days. A 2024 study showed that items like digestive biscuits, butter, crisps, and chocolate bars have decreased in size while their unit cost has increased. Lib Dem trade spokesman Clive Jones stated that shoppers are being forced to "pay more for less" by large companies and supermarket chains to protect their profits and need to be informed when they are at risk of being ripped off. A Department for Business and Trade spokesman said the government is committed to protecting consumers from unfair practices through clearer labeling for prices on supermarket shelves.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Calls to legally require supermarkets to reveal ‘shrinkflation' to customers
Supermarkets would be forced to tell their customers if they want them to 'pay more for less' under proposals designed to tackle 'shrinkflation'. The Liberal Democrats want government legislation amended to legally require large supermarkets to inform shoppers when the quantity of goods within a pre-packaged product has decreased thereby increasing the price per unit of measurement. Details of the changes would need to be attached or placed alongside the product for a 60-day period, according to the amendment tabled to the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill. Digestive biscuits, butter, crisps and chocolate bars were among the items found to have decreased in size while their unit cost increased, according to 2024 research by Compare the Market. MPs could be asked to vote on the Lib Dem proposal on Wednesday when the Bill returns to the Commons for its report stage. Lib Dem trade spokesman Clive Jones said: 'The scourge of shrinkflation needs to be exposed. 'Shoppers have been hammered during a cost-of-living crisis all while massive companies and big supermarket chains are forcing them to pay more for less to protect their bottom lines. 'They need to be called out on it and for shoppers to know when they are at risk of being ripped off. 'The Government should accept this Liberal Democrat amendment so that we can help protect shoppers and their already stretched household budgets from another round of shrinkflation.' The Bill as a whole gives powers to ministers to regulate the marketing and use of goods in the UK after Brexit. It was previously amended in the House of Lords to provide protections to the imperial pint measure to ease fears over its future. The changes accepted by the Government would bar ministers from preventing or restricting the use of the pint in relation to draught beer, cider or milk in returnable containers. It also provides a definition of a pint as 0.56826125 cubic decimetres. A Department for Business and Trade spokesman said: 'We're committed to protecting consumers from unfair commercial practices and making sure they have all the information they need to make informed decisions on purchases. 'That's why we're bringing in strict new laws next year to make sure businesses use clearer labelling for prices on supermarket shelves, and retailers show all unit prices in either kilograms or litres to improve clarity for shoppers.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Shrinkflation: Supermarkets could be forced to tell customers if they are paying more for less
Supermarkets could soon be required to inform customers when they are effectively being asked to "pay more for less", under new proposals aimed at tackling " shrinkflation". The Liberal Democrats are pushing for an amendment to government legislation that would legally oblige large supermarkets to notify shoppers when the quantity of goods in a pre-packaged product has been reduced, leading to an increase in the price per unit. Under the proposed amendment to the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, details of these changes would need to be displayed on or next to the product for a 60-day period. Research conducted by Compare the Market in 2024 revealed that items such as digestive biscuits, butter, crisps, and chocolate bars have seen a decrease in size while their unit cost has increased. MPs may vote on the Lib Dem proposal on Wednesday, when the Bill is scheduled to return to the Commons for its report stage. Lib Dem trade spokesman Clive Jones said: 'The scourge of shrinkflation needs to be exposed. 'Shoppers have been hammered during a cost-of-living crisis all while massive companies and big supermarket chains are forcing them to pay more for less to protect their bottom lines. 'They need to be called out on it and for shoppers to know when they are at risk of being ripped off. 'The Government should accept this Liberal Democrat amendment so that we can help protect shoppers and their already stretched household budgets from another round of shrinkflation.' The Bill as a whole gives powers to ministers to regulate the marketing and use of goods in the UK after Brexit. It was previously amended in the House of Lords to provide protections to the imperial pint measure to ease fears over its future. The changes accepted by the Government would bar ministers from preventing or restricting the use of the pint in relation to draught beer, cider or milk in returnable containers. It also provides a definition of a pint as 0.56826125 cubic decimetres. A Department for Business and Trade spokesman said: 'We're committed to protecting consumers from unfair commercial practices and making sure they have all the information they need to make informed decisions on purchases. 'That's why we're bringing in strict new laws next year to make sure businesses use clearer labelling for prices on supermarket shelves, and retailers show all unit prices in either kilograms or litres to improve clarity for shoppers.'
