Deb Knight: 'Insidious' supermarket clue that is a sign to act now
Size, it seems, does matter, particularly when it comes to what's on offer on our supermarket shelves.
We've all experienced the dreaded shrinkflation, when manufacturers reduce the size of a product but keep prices the same, or even charge more.
Corn Chip packets down from 200g to 175g. Fewer Tim Tam's in the pack.
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Deb Knight is fed up with shrinkflation and skimpflation. Instagram
Then there's skimpflation, when the ingredients in products change with no shift in the price.
The oats in muesli bars were reduced by 10%, bulked out instead by cheaper puffed rice, and there was a cut in the number of raspberries used in jam.
It might not taste as good for consumers, but it saves costs for manufacturers.
Frustration over shrinkflation became an issue at the last Federal election when cost-of-living concerns were at their peak.
The Government took action in 2024, introducing new fines to clamp down on supermarkets doing the wrong thing, and strengthening unit pricing rules for everyday products to make it simpler for shoppers to measure value for money and compare products.
And yet still, shrinkflation is a problem - right now for Easter favourites.
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And yet still, shrinkflation is a problem - right now for Easter favourites. Nine
Consumer watchdog Choice has found that chocolate treats have shrunk for the second year running, with a range of Cadbury Easter eggs becoming smaller and more expensive over the past 12 months.
The popular choice for Easter egg hunts, packs of hollow Cadbury's chocolate eggs have shrunk from 24 eggs two years ago, to now just 20 eggs, with the price hiked from $12.50 to $18.00. So 408g of chocolate has melted away to just 340g - and you're paying $5.50 more for the reduction. That's a 73% increase for every 100g.
Happy Easter!
Choice also found Hot Cross buns getting a shrinkflation nudge.
The German Supermarket chain Aldi, which prides itself on no-frills, low prices, is offering nothing that's 'good, different' when it comes to Rocky Road, and Banoffee-inspired hot cross buns.
Both are 20g lighter than the same time last year, even though you're paying the same price. Shrinkflation delivers a 7% per 100g price hike.
Perhaps it's a suitable tax, though, on novelty hot cross bun flavours.
Hot cross buns are also a victim. Nine
Manufacturers claim rising production and supply chain costs are the reason for the changes in product sizing and price, but it's even more reason for the Federal Government to sound the alarm on shrinkflation.
It can be very hard for the average shopper to spot, and is an insidious way of doing consumers over when they're already struggling to pay rising costs at the checkout.
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