Manufacturers have shrunk as many as 2,529 consumer products over the last five years, but kept prices the same, according to new figures.
Many people have reported seeing their favourite chocolate bars shrink in recent years, with Toblerone a particularly glaring example, but the same has happened to various other items from toilet rolls to fruit juice.
Most of the items that have suffered form “shrinkflation” are food products, which has pushed their price per gram over inflation since 2012. The price of chocolate rose by 1.22 percentage points over inflation during the time period, according to the ONS.
Confectionery manufacturers have blamed rising prices for raw materials and Brexit for the changes, but in reality the price of sugar imports to the European Union reached a record low in March 2017, and the price of cocoa has fallen sharply over the last 12 months.
However, it is not all bad news for consumers, with 614 products increasing in size between 2012 and 2017.
Seven shrinking chocolate treats
- Toblerone – 12% reduction in size with larger gaps between the mountains
- Terry’s Chocolate Orange – shrunk from 175g to 157g with hollow segments
- Maltesers – reduced from 121g to 103g bags
- Quality Street – standard chocolate tin reduced from 1kg to 780g
- Cadbury Fingers – reduced from 125g to 144g per pack (about two fingers)
- Snickers – shrunk from 58g to 48g
- Dairy Milk – bars reduced in size from 49g to 45g
