“I’M TELLIN’ YA, there are less and less chocolates in here every year.”
It’s a topic of conversation that will spring up every Christmas, and answer is that yes, that tin of Roses or Quality Street has gotten smaller.
A series of weight reductions took place prior to 2012 due to the high price of cocoa beans, as manufacturers were forced to skimp on some choccies.
Some retailers came under fire for this, as the price on the shelf didn’t come down.
This leads to something called stealth inflation. Consumers will pay the same amount for gradually less of the same product.
Some of the manufacturers have pointed the finger of blame firmly at shops, as their recommended retail price has come down.
How were your main favourites affected in recent years?
A reader of Broadsheet.ie took pictures of tins of Roses for five years, and discovered that the weight dropped from 1.5kg in 2006 to 850g in 2011.
The Daily Mail reports that another trim brought the weight down from 975g to 850g, resulting in 11 less chocolates in the tin. It now stands at 780g, the Guardian reports.
They’ve also gotten smaller. An 18% reduction took place in 2012, from 1kg to 820g, according to The Grocer. They got smaller again this year, down to 780g.
Sadly, heroes suffered the same 11-chocolates fewer fate as its upper class Cadburys cousin did in 2011. The weight dropped from 950g to 800g, and last year from 800g to 780g. The Guardian reports its smaller form dropped from 350g to 325g.
Not even the usually cheerful Celebrations were immune, suffering a 105g trim last year, down to 750g,
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say