A British woman has unwrapped a blast from the past, revealing the stark reality of shrinkflation after opening a perfectly preserved Cadbury selection box from the 1990s.
A Festive Time Capsule from the 90s
Rachel Peacock discovered the festive treat, which featured nostalgic artwork of Santa, elves, and Rudolph in bright colours, a design typical of the era. The box was a giant size and, crucially, its contents had a best-before date of July 1991. Upon lifting the lid, Rachel was immediately struck by the sheer scale of the chocolate bars inside, a sight that has largely vanished from modern Christmas stockings.
The Shocking Size Comparison
In a video, Rachel marvelled at each item, holding them up to show the camera. She highlighted a huge Picnic bar and a Boost in its original orange wrapper, not the blue seen today. Picking up a Fruit and Nut bar, she declared it a "proper chocolate bar" due to its chunkiness. The Double Decker was so substantial she could wrap her fist around it, joking that you could actually hold it, unlike its contemporary counterpart.
She expressed similar disbelief at the size of a Wispa bar from over three decades ago. Rachel also pointed out the now-discontinued Five Centres bar and noted how the packaging in the 90s was tightly fitted to the chocolate, unlike today's looser wrappers which can create an illusion of more product.
Public Reaction and the Reality of Shrinkflation
The revelation sparked a wave of nostalgia and frustration online. One commenter reminisced about the "massive selection boxes" their nan would gift every year. Another suggested sending the vintage box back to Cadbury as a reminder of how their products used to be sized.
This case is a textbook example of shrinkflation, where companies reduce a product's size or weight while maintaining or increasing its price. It's a tactic often used to manage rising costs for ingredients and labour without an overt price hike that might deter shoppers. The food and confectionery industry is particularly known for this practice, subtly altering packaging to mask the reduction in quantity.
Rachel Peacock's 1990s time capsule serves as a tangible, and for many, bittersweet, reminder of how consumer goods have evolved, offering less for more over the years.
