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'Super-shrinkflation' hits shoppers as prices continue to rise

'Super-shrinkflation' hits shoppers as prices continue to rise
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Shoppers are increasingly paying higher prices for products already hit by “shrinkflation” a report claimed last week, describing the effect as "super-shrinkflation".

Brands and supermarkets are both responsible for the “super-shrinkflation”, The Telegraph stated, after analysing the items at various retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons.


In some cases, the cost charged is twice the price per unit compared with last year, stated the report citing how bags of Cheetos crisps when bought in a multi-pack are now 25p per pack, rather than 12.5p. They used to be sold in packs of eight for £1, but now come in sixes for £1.50.

In recent months, Hellman’s large 800g mayonnaise has dropped to 600g but now costs £3.75 instead of £3.29. Penguin chocolate bars were sold in packs of eight for £1.25. Now they are sold in packs of seven for £1.50, meaning that each bar costs 5.8p more.

One particularly striking example is that of Magnum ice creams, from Unilever. Early last year, individual lollies in a pack of four went from 110ml to 100ml, while the price stayed the same at £3. More recently, the number in each pack has gone down to three and the price at Tesco is up from £3 to £3.25, implying each ice cream has gone up 33p to £1.08, while also being several bites smaller.

A McVitie’s digestive biscuit is now up 1.5p to 7.5p, after the number in packs went from 27 to 24, while the price went up from £1.60 to £1.80, claimed the report, adding that ready meals are also affected.

It came after economists warned Britain’s era of cheap food was at an end, with the Bank of England saying grocery price inflation will stay in double digits until the end of the year.

Sue Davies, head of food policy at Which?, said that pack sizes on popular products continue to shrink, but the same can’t be said for their prices – leaving shoppers with a double whammy of paying more for less when they’re doing the weekly shop.

“Supermarkets and manufacturers must be more upfront about the cost of their products and ensure unit pricing is prominent, legible and consistent in-store and online. That way, customers can easily compare prices across different brands and sizes of packaging to ensure they are getting good value.”

The report quoted Pladis, which makes McVitie’s biscuits and Penguins, as saying that as with every company in the sector, the maker has seen its "input costs increase with inflationary pressures across our supply chain and this trend has continued throughout 2023".

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A whopping ninety-one per cent of respondents to a survey conducted by the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) called for more police patrols on streets, while a similar number - 90 per cent - said that shoplifters should be handed harsher sentences.

Seven out of 10 respondents (72 per cent) said their stores had experienced shoplifting, break ins and damage to property, while they and their staff had been physically or verbally threatened.

Just under half of respondents (47 per cent) said they and their employees had been threatened or had suffered abuse and violence when asking for proof of age ahead of selling an age-restricted product.

Forty-four per cent reported that they and their staff had faced abuse or violence because they had refused to make a proxy sale – selling an age restricted product to a customer buying for a minor.

The results of the Fed’s survey came as new figures from the Office of National Statistics revealed that shoplifting was at a record high, with almost half a million offences recorded last year.

According to the ONS, 469,788 offences were logged by forces in the year to June 2024 – a 29 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.

The ONS added that this figure was the highest since records began – in March 2003.

“Inadequate responses from the police and a slap on the wrist for offenders means that shoplifting is soaring, and offenders are becoming more aggressive and brazen,” said Fed National President Mo Razzaq.

“From the responses we received, it is clear that real action is needed by police, by courts and by the government to stem the overwhelming tide of crime against retailers and their staff. Everyone deserves to feel safe at work and for their businesses to be protected against criminals.

“Fed members are also sending a clear message that one of the catalysts for verbal and physical abuse in stores is asking for proof of age before selling an age restricted product. If the government presses ahead with its plans to phase out smoking and vaping through a progressive ban to gradually end the sale of tobacco products across the country, independent retailers will be subject to even greater levels of violence, abuse and theft.”

Calling for action from the government and not just words, Mr Razzaq continued: “Without effective deterrent, criminals and opportunistic members of the public will continue to commit crimes.”

According to Ministry of Justice statistics, during the year to March 2024, 431 fines were handed out for retail theft under £100, while Home Office statistics for the same period show that 2,252 cautions were accepted for shoplifting.