Bradbury Robinson Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 It's clear now that food producers are down-sizing their products to keep certain items at what they would figure are competitive price points. In recent days myself I've noticed the usual crisps and chocolate bars, breakfast cereals, blocks of cheese and lager/cider all at what I would say are their 'normal price', but package sizes smaller than they used to be. As producers seem to make products in a number of sizes any way isn't there a market for one product which fluctuates in size but remains at a, somewhat, static price and another which always stays the same size and rises in price as costs rise? That way the consumer has the choice of which to go for. It seems it already happens in some ways as things like Mars bar have gotten smaller but they now produce the 'Duo' which gets you twice as much! Personally I look at the price/weight and notice these things but there must be plenty of people who simply pick up, what they believe is, the same item week after week and the ruse has worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradbury Robinson Posted September 8, 2011 Author Share Posted September 8, 2011 Two related points to the OP (bad form to reply to yourself I know!). I remember not long ago that you used to get a crate of Strongbow for about £15 for 24 cans which equates to £0.625/can, even this was way above the £0.50/can that I used to aim for. Then the boxes went down to 18, 16, 14, 12, with ever changing prices so the supermarkets can compete on price, but the consumer could just get more and more confused! On the subject of confusion is there any supermarket that has any more 'offers' than Sainsburys? They have every permutation of '3 for 2', 2 for 1', 6 for 5', '1 for 4', etc. It's like some sort of mental challenge shopping in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinker Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 Yes this has been going on a while - disguised inflation. Beer pack sizes 24 >>> 18 >>> 15. I found a tea I quite like, nice and cheap at B&B Bargains, it disappears off the shelf come back all 'rebranded', suddenly tastes like pish. The had reduced the weight (and therefore the strength of the tea) by 36%, same price. I felt royally ripped off. Naturally, they've lost my custom. Glad to see B&B have source an alternative, decent taste and at that price point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lepista Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 The other thing you have to be careful of is bulk sizes are often not the cheapest price per unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradbury Robinson Posted September 8, 2011 Author Share Posted September 8, 2011 Yes this has been going on a while - disguised inflation. Beer pack sizes 24 >>> 18 >>> 15. I found a tea I quite like, nice and cheap at B&B Bargains, it disappears off the shelf come back all 'rebranded', suddenly tastes like pish. The had reduced the weight (and therefore the strength of the tea) by 36%, same price. I felt royally ripped off. Naturally, they've lost my custom. Glad to see B&B have source an alternative, decent taste and at that price point. On the other hand would you have still purchased the tea if the price had gone up rather than the weight gone down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradbury Robinson Posted September 8, 2011 Author Share Posted September 8, 2011 The other thing you have to be careful of is bulk sizes are often not the cheapest price per unit. Couldn't agree more. It's a shame that the price per x that supermarkets have to display is always so small compared to the headline price which they can shout about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradbury Robinson Posted September 8, 2011 Author Share Posted September 8, 2011 Yes this has been going on a while - disguised inflation. Beer pack sizes 24 >>> 18 >>> 15. I think beer packs has been more to do with supermarket marketing strategies than manufacturers sneaking up prices. I haven't bought any recently but can still find pretty good deals costing not much more than five years ago. Sadly, again, a headline price on a pack, be it £15, £10, £8, seems to win some people over more than a sensible price per unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinker Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 The problem with alcohol of course is that we are all a nation of alcoholics who drink to much and cost the NHS too much money, so there is a significant pressure ramp up alcohol prices and the supermarkets seem to be playing along. The anti-drink lobby are quite vociferous and able to get on the news presenting 'selective' facts and faux comparison points. Along with other bloggers, the Pub Curmudgeon blog is good source of analysis. The Scots will now face minimum prices, doesn't affect those imposing it, a tax upon a tax upon a tax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 This always happens. The main culprit is individual chocolate bars! A chocolate bar under 50grams does not need a weight displayed, so these constantly change and get smaller and smaller; they then introduce a new larger size and so the cycle goes on. Remember when Wagon Wheels were the size of real, well err, wagon wheels? Also, in the food industry they also change the number of packs in cases/boxes very often, and give them new barcodes so it's difficult to keep track of changes. Also remember ingredients of processed food change to cheaper ingredients now and again too. Although to be fair Walkers crisps standard bags are still 34.5g, and have been for donkeys years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradbury Robinson Posted September 8, 2011 Author Share Posted September 8, 2011 Although to be fair Walkers crisps standard bags are still 34.5g, and have been for donkeys years. You get a shock when you open a 'multipack' pack though and you have about three crisps to be getting on with! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spot Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 The other thing you have to be careful of is bulk sizes are often not the cheapest price per unit. And the same product is in different formats and supermarket lables don't compare like for like just to make it more confusing. Eg: Kitchen rolls. The other day one product listed price per sheet, other was price per meter square. Luckily small print on the rolls gave the game away and found the pack of 4 fat rolls of Plenty worked considerably cheaper than the pack of 6 thin rolls on "special offer". I just wish they'd stop trying to con us all the time. The barstewards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lepista Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 The problem with alcohol of course is that we are all a nation of alcoholics who drink to much and cost the NHS too much money, so there is a significant pressure ramp up alcohol prices and the supermarkets seem to be playing along. The anti-drink lobby are quite vociferous and able to get on the news presenting 'selective' facts and faux comparison points. Along with other bloggers, the Pub Curmudgeon blog is good source of analysis. The Scots will now face minimum prices, doesn't affect those imposing it, a tax upon a tax upon a tax. Rubbish - I guarantee that drinkers contribute more in (alcohol) taxes than it costs to treat them in the NHS. (same as smokers). everyone should go on strike and not drink for a year - it would bring the country to its knees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmf Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 Often they put comparable products with different data. Eg 29p per 100g then another has 89p per 350g pack. Anything to make it harder to judge true value. Nor rocket science but it is for many. Pro tip: if the loose veg is gone and only expensive packs are left just open them. They'll never know at the checkout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinker Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 (edited) Rubbish - I guarantee that drinkers contribute more in (alcohol) taxes than it costs to treat them in the NHS. (same as smokers). everyone should go on strike and not drink for a year - it would bring the country to its knees. I was being ironic in the first paragraph. I agree with you second point. Mightn't be much fun, and there is plenty going on to drive people to drink. I was at a local forum where some NHS bod wheeled out some figure (released to the press earlier,. gobbled up by the BBC) that some alcohol-related death stat was up 50% (ergo, it's out of control), however the figures were based upon a few hundred cases - low number, big percentage, misrepresented to push an agenda. (More control, more money for the NHS.) The thing is most people just accept this as fact. Edited September 8, 2011 by tinker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terribad Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 Bike feul (figrolls) is up 15% this year, and to rub salt in the wound they have removed one figrol from the pack. Another 8% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diver Dan Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 Another trick they try is have two or more similar products such as multipacks of tinned soup or beer and have show the price per weight of one, weight for price for the next, price per different weight for another and the price per can of the another. I prefer to shop at Aldi or Lidl or local shops as they don't seem to mess you around like the big supermarkets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rantnrave Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 One in Tesco had me stumped a few weeks back. £1.02 for a pack of instant soups, or three for a pound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtomsilver Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 Although to be fair Walkers crisps standard bags are still 34.5g, and have been for donkeys years. and that have doubled in price... £1.60. own brand 6 packs up from £1.10p to £1.30 already this year (£1 last year). Bought a bumper back of quavers recently and they now taste of onions, nothing 'cheesy' in them at all. Gala apples are on offer at sainsbury's right now.. half price at £1. I bought the same apples weeks before for £1.80 (not on offer) and supposedly we've had a bumper harvest this year. 11% increase hidden in an offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nationalist Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 Sainsbury bagels were £1 for a pack of 5 for years. (Or 25p if you wanted to buy one individually.) Then the pack price went up to £1.05, then £1.10, then it suddenly went back down to £1! But look carefully, only 4 bagels in the pack. I discovered this when I suddenly didn't have a bagel to eat on Friday. Clearly consumers are far more sensitive to the price on the pack than the amount in the pack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terribad Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 Sainsbury bagels were £1 for a pack of 5 for years. (Or 25p if you wanted to buy one individually.) Then the pack price went up to £1.05, then £1.10, then it suddenly went back down to £1! But look carefully, only 4 bagels in the pack. I discovered this when I suddenly didn't have a bagel to eat on Friday. Clearly consumers are far more sensitive to the price on the pack than the amount in the pack. What you eating that foreign muck for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 The problem with alcohol of course is that we are all a nation of alcoholics who drink to much and cost the NHS too much money, so there is a significant pressure ramp up alcohol prices and the supermarkets seem to be playing along. The anti-drink lobby are quite vociferous and able to get on the news presenting 'selective' facts and faux comparison points. Along with other bloggers, the Pub Curmudgeon blog is good source of analysis. The Scots will now face minimum prices, doesn't affect those imposing it, a tax upon a tax upon a tax. Not only are we supposed to be a nation of alcoholics, we are now being told most of us are overweight.....is that another excuse as to why the packet sizes, weights and measures are getting smaller. ...like I said before when shopping take your maths head or a calculator with you and a pair of glasses if need be, because some sort of magnifying glass is required to read the price per KG or 100g another way of confusing people who can't move a decimal point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erranta Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 It's clear now that food producers are down-sizing their products to keep certain items at what they would figure are competitive price points. In recent days myself I've noticed the usual crisps and chocolate bars, breakfast cereals, blocks of cheese and lager/cider all at what I would say are their 'normal price', but package sizes smaller than they used to be. As producers seem to make products in a number of sizes any way isn't there a market for one product which fluctuates in size but remains at a, somewhat, static price and another which always stays the same size and rises in price as costs rise? That way the consumer has the choice of which to go for. It seems it already happens in some ways as things like Mars bar have gotten smaller but they now produce the 'Duo' which gets you twice as much! Personally I look at the price/weight and notice these things but there must be plenty of people who simply pick up, what they believe is, the same item week after week and the ruse has worked. Our energy prices are now 30% above other rich Euro countries and going up again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 Sainsbury bagels were £1 for a pack of 5 for years. (Or 25p if you wanted to buy one individually.) Then the pack price went up to £1.05, then £1.10, then it suddenly went back down to £1! But look carefully, only 4 bagels in the pack. I discovered this when I suddenly didn't have a bagel to eat on Friday. Clearly consumers are far more sensitive to the price on the pack than the amount in the pack. Don't forget to weigh you bagel when you get home....because my muffin they have knocked off 3g on each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PunK BeaR Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 The most noticeable i have found is choccy biscuits. The price is the same or higher but the biscuits are shrinking. Penguins are now bite size and wagon wheels are more like skateboard wheels. Ive also noticed changes in recipes and packaging too. for example, Markies ready meals used to be straight into the microwave without pricking the plastic cover as it had a special cover with a steam vent bit at the side. That is now gone and its back to pricking the lid. I assume this is a cost saving measure however there may be another reason. On the subject of Markies ready meals, one of the most noticeable recipe change i saw was in their lasagne. It was fairly pricey but it had tons of cheese and a rich sauce far surpassing other supermarket brands. Then, overnight, it just changed to a bland, insipid, bog standard lasagne. Pity the price didnt change also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 The most noticeable i have found is choccy biscuits. The price is the same or higher but the biscuits are shrinking. Penguins are now bite size and wagon wheels are more like skateboard wheels. Fewer biscuits in the digestive packets..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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