Toothpaste, coffee and even heartburn medicine are among the latest products quietly shrinking in size while shoppers pay the same price, piling more pressure on household grocery budgets.
Consumer watchdog Which? found a range of new examples of shrinkflation as brands cut back on quantity and quality in an effort to reduce their own costs.
One of the worst instances was Aquafresh complete care original toothpaste, which went from £1.30 for 100ml to £2 for 75ml at Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Ocado – a 105% increase per 100ml.
Haleon Great Britain and Ireland, which owns the Aquafresh brand, told the Guardian: “We understand that people across the UK are facing pressure on their finances. Prices go up and down for a variety of reasons, and we always work hard for people to receive the highest quality products at the lowest price so that the whole family can take care of their teeth.”
Gaviscon heartburn and indigestion liquid shrank from 600ml to 500ml, with Sainsbury’s keeping the price at £14 – equivalent to a 20% increase per 100ml. They did not respond to a request for comment.
Nescafé original instant coffee was cut from 200g to 190g at Tesco, Morrisons and Asda – about a 5% rise per 100g. A Nestlé spokesperson said: “Like every manufacturer, we have seen significant increases in the cost of coffee, making it much more expensive to manufacture our products … Retail pricing is always at the discretion of individual retailers.”
Chocolate has also been hit by rising cocoa prices, with Quality Street tubs reduced from 600g to 550g and prices at Morrisons increasing from £6 to £7 – a 27% rise per 100g. Club and Penguin biscuits, both made by McVitie’s, can no longer be described as chocolate biscuits, as they now contain more palm oil and shea oil than cocoa, a change first reported by trade journal The Grocer.
Which? said any changes, whether to product size or recipe, should be made clear so that shoppers can make informed choices.
Reena Sewraz, retail editor at the watchdog, said: “Households are already under immense financial pressure with food bills inching up and the expense of Christmas looming on the horizon … Supermarkets must be more upfront about their prices so that it’s easy to see what the best value is.
“This includes ensuring that their unit pricing is prominent, legible and consistent in-store and online to help customers easily compare costs across different brands and sizes of packaging; that way shoppers can be more confident they’re getting the best value.”
Hopes that the pressure on households may be easing came from news that UK shop price inflation fell to 1% in October from 1.4% in September, according to the British Retail Consortium, helped by a drop in sugar prices and early Black Friday discounts on electrical and beauty goods.
The drop was led by packaged and tinned foods, where inflation eased to 2.9% in October from 4.2% the previous month. Non-food prices fell by 0.4%, compared to the previous month’s 0.1% decrease, according to the latest shop price monitor from the BRC and research firm NIQ. These shifts offset a rise in fresh food inflation, which increased to 4.3% from 4.1% as prices for beef, poultry and fruit climbed in response to higher domestic production costs.
Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the BRC, said: “Overall shop price inflation slowed in October, driven by fierce competition among retailers and widespread discounting. While food inflation remains high, especially for fresh food where prices continued to rise, it eased for ambient goods.
“Easing global sugar prices helped to bring down prices of chocolate and confectionery, a treat for those preparing Halloween parties. Beyond food, discounts came early to electricals and health and beauty, as retailers started promotions ahead of Black Friday month.”
