(qlmbusinessnews.com Mon, 22nd Jan, 2024) London, UK —
“Rising Prices, Shrinking Products: Which? Calls for Transparency in Supermarket Practices”
In a bid for transparency, consumer group Which? is urging supermarkets and manufacturers to be more open about the practices of “shrinkflation” and “skimpflation,” revealing concerns about smaller product sizes and fewer key ingredients.
Which? conducted a survey, asking shoppers for examples of products that experienced shrinkflation or skimpflation, receiving a flood of responses. Instances included reductions in the size of tea bags and sausages with less pork content.
The British Retail Consortium stated that retailers are attempting to curb the impact of rising production costs on prices. However, Which? highlighted specific examples of shrinkflation:
Listerine Fresh Burst mouthwash reduced from 600ml to 500ml, accompanied by a price increase of 52p at Tesco.
PG Tips Tasty Decaf Pyramid tea bags decreased from 180 bags to 140 at various supermarkets.
Kettle Chips Sea Salt and Crushed Black Peppercorns Crisps shrank from 150g to 130g at Tesco.
Yeo Valley Organic Salted Spreadable reduced from 500g to 400g at Sainsbury's and Tesco.
Additionally, recipe alterations in some products included fewer expensive ingredients:
Sainsbury's ‘Clotted Cream Rice Pudding' replaced clotted cream with whipping cream and was subsequently repackaged.
Morrisons 150g guacamole lost some avocado, dropping from 80% to 77% of its recipe.
Tesco Beef Lasagne saw a reduction in beef content from 23% to 19%.
Waitrose Butter Chicken Curry experienced a decrease in chicken content from 47% to 41%.
While acknowledging the challenges of soaring food inflation, Which? emphasized that consumers are often paying more for less. The consumer group called for increased transparency from supermarkets and manufacturers, urging clear communication about changes to popular products and prominent, legible, and consistent unit pricing.
Andrew Opie, Director of Food and Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, noted that most examples identified by Which? reflected decisions by manufacturers rather than retailers. Opie emphasized that retailers are focused on limiting price increases for customers amid rising production costs, ensuring clear labeling for informed purchasing decisions.
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