A food and consumer affairs content creator has begun secretly placing labels on supermarket shelves to draw attention to shrinkflation, with the first signs appearing in Tesco and Sainsbury's stores in East London.
Gavin Wren, 48, who has worked in food policy for a decade, creates labels that match supermarket branding so they blend in with the aisles. He recently shared an example on Instagram showing signs he had added next to packets of Fox's biscuits in Tesco, featuring the retailer's blue and yellow colours and stating the packs were now '11 per cent smaller'.
Campaign aims to inform shoppers
Speaking to Metro, Wren described the labels as a 'harmless' way to help the public be 'better informed and also get retailers and big food companies' attention'. He said: 'People are really struggling, and yes, they need financial help, but they also need to be informed.'
Wren was inspired by countries such as South Korea, France, Germany, and Romania, where supermarkets are required to advertise when a product has changed in size. He noted: 'There's proper legislation around it, and I thought it was a great idea.'
Plans to expand across London and beyond
Wren intends to add labels in more supermarkets across the capital and hopes others will follow suit across the UK. He is also working on a shrinkflation database, tracking product changes and inviting people to submit examples, alongside monthly updates online.
If the campaign gains enough support, he plans to launch a petition calling for manufacturers or retailers to advertise shrinkflation clearly. He said: 'I think it's a policy proposal that people could really get behind.'
Wren identified chocolate as the worst-affected category, citing pressure in the supply chain and rising cocoa prices. Other products he has highlighted include McVitie's Digestive biscuits reduced from 360g to 315g, and Fox's Half-Coated Milk Chocolate Cookies going from 175g to 157g.
