Easter shoppers face shrinkflation with rising chocolate prices, says Which?
Consumers urged to check unit pricing amid smaller product sizes
Easter shoppers are confronted with the challenge of shrinkflation, with chocolate prices rising amidst shrinking product sizes, according to consumer advocate Which?.
The consumer group monitors around 25,000 products across major UK supermarkets to track grocery price changes and has found that consumers are spending more for less when purchasing Easter chocolate treats.
Which?'s supermarket food inflation tracker reports that while overall food and drink inflation in supermarkets has slowed to 3.9% for the year leading up to February, chocolate costs have escalated by 9.7%.
Which? also found that the experience of products reducing in size but prices being maintained or increased “has become a prevalent trend in the seasonal aisle”.
The supermarket food inflation tracker also indicated that when looking at overall inflation across ranges of groceries, supermarket own-label premium products had the highest rates of inflation at 6.7% – a higher rate than budget own-brand items (4%) or branded items (2.8%).
Which? suggested that shoppers to look at the unit price (for example the price per 100g or 100ml) to find the most cost-effective deals.
Which? said its researchers also regularly find that discounters Aldi and Lidl can be good options for households looking to save money on groceries.
Reena Sewraz, Which? retail editor, said: “It’s disappointing to see Easter treats aren’t safe from shrinkflation, with some products going up in price significantly, even though they’re smaller than last year.
“Manufacturers are quietly giving shoppers less for more, so it’s no wonder people feel cheated when they get less bang for their buck.
“To ensure you’re getting a fair deal, always check the ‘price per 100g’ on the shelf edge label rather than just the headline price.
“This is the only way to accurately compare different brands and sizes to ensure you are bagging a genuine bargain.”
Which? said chocolate has been rising in price sharply due to a severe global cocoa shortage caused by factors such as poor harvests. It said this, combined with high demand, increased energy and transportation costs, and climate-related challenges, has caused retail prices to surge.
Which? said it had approached supermarkets and manufacturers.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We know Easter is a time many come together which is why we are focused on giving customers brilliant value with trusted quality.”
A spokesperson for Mars Wrigley – which owns the Galaxy, M&Ms and Maltesers brands – also told Which?: “We always aim to absorb rising costs wherever possible, however, ongoing pressures, including the well-documented rises in the cost of cocoa, mean we have had to make carefully considered changes to ensure shoppers can continue to enjoy their favourite Easter treats without any compromise on the quality or taste they expect from Mars.
“As with all our products, final pricing remains at the discretion of individual retailers.”