- A new study by consumer group Which? reveals a fresh wave of 'shrinkflation', where major brands are reducing product sizes and sometimes downgrading ingredients, impacting consumers already struggling with the cost of living crisis.
- Examples of affected products include Aquafresh toothpaste, Gaviscon liquid, Sainsbury's Scottish Oats, Nescafé coffee, and various chocolate items like KitKats, Quality Street, Freddo, and Fudge bars.
- Many products have seen significant price increases per unit, such as Aquafresh toothpaste rising by 105 per cent per 100ml and Sainsbury's oats by 236 per cent per 100g.
- Beyond size reductions, some products like White KitKats, Penguin, and Club bars have had key ingredients, such as cocoa butter, reduced or replaced, meaning they can no longer be marketed as chocolate products.
- Manufacturers, including Mondelez International and Nestle, attribute these changes to significantly higher input costs for ingredients, energy, and transport, stating that size adjustments are a “last resort” to maintain product quality and affordability.
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