Consumer watchdog Which? has identified new examples of shrinkflation, where products shrink in size while prices remain the same or rise, adding to household budget pressures. Among the worst offenders is Aquafresh Complete Care Original toothpaste, which increased from £1.30 for 100ml to £2 for 75ml at Tesco, Sainsbury's and Ocado – a 105% rise per 100ml.
Gaviscon Heartburn and Indigestion Liquid shrank from 600ml to 500ml, with Sainsbury's keeping the price at £14, equivalent to a 20% increase per 100ml. Nescafé Original Instant Coffee was reduced from 200g to 190g at Tesco, Morrisons and Asda, a 5% rise per 100g. Quality Street tubs dropped from 600g to 550g, with Morrisons increasing the price from £6 to £7, a 27% rise per 100g.
Recipe changes have also occurred: Club and Penguin biscuits, made by McVitie's, now contain more palm oil and shea oil than cocoa, meaning they can no longer be described as chocolate biscuits. Which? is calling for supermarkets to make such changes clearer to shoppers.
Reena Sewraz, retail editor at Which?, said: 'Households are already under immense financial pressure with food bills inching up and the expense of Christmas looming. Supermarkets must be more upfront about their prices so that it’s easy to see what the best value is.'
However, there is some relief: UK shop price inflation fell to 1% in October from 1.4% in September, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). This was driven by lower sugar prices and early Black Friday discounts on electrical and beauty goods. Packaged and tinned food inflation eased to 2.9% from 4.2%, while fresh food inflation rose to 4.3% from 4.1% due to higher domestic production costs for beef, poultry and fruit.
Helen Dickinson, BRC chief executive, said: 'Overall shop price inflation slowed in October, driven by fierce competition among retailers and widespread discounting. Easing global sugar prices helped bring down prices of chocolate and confectionery, a treat for those preparing Halloween parties.'
