Chocolate prices up - Chocolate sizes down!

[Patrick]

Boo! Hisss!

Chocoholics are facing a sudden weight loss campaign – as confectionery companies cut the size of the biggest-selling bars before the January rise in VAT.

The likes of Nestlé and Cadbury are quietly shrinking the size of some of their biggest brands, and simultaneously nudging up prices, in a bid to preserve their profit margins as a result of rising costs and the looming VAT rise.

At Poundland, chief executive Jim McCarthy said he has negotiated to introduce a new, lighter Toblerone in the new year – about one triangle shorter than the standard bar – so that the price can be held at £1.

From next February a block of Dairy Milk will be a lean 120g, down a couple of chunks from its previous heft of 140g. The Bournville company – accused of being a Scrooge two Christmases ago when it removed more expensive chocolates from tubs of Heroes – is proving to be even more frugal under new owner Kraft. The smaller bars come just after the firm pushed through a round of price increases.

A spokesman for Cadbury said pack sizes were being varied to provide consumers with more choice. "We have taken the decision to increase prices because of economic factors such as ingredient costs."

[Alpha Hooligan]

Shame on them!!!


AH

[jean]

I don't care. That stuff's not proper chocolate anyway.

[everso]

Chocolate today always tastes very sugary, something it didn't years ago (or am I just doing the old people thing?)

I've sworn to stay off the chocolate this Christmas - Mr. E. can't stand it when I whine afterwards about my weight.

[aubrey]

Yes, it's too sweet.

[jean]

You need darker chocolate with less sugar in it.

Then one tiny square will satisfy any cravings you may have.

[aubrey]

I don't really have any chocolate cravings - I'm not supposed to eat it, anyway. But you're right. But it does worry me that things in general will get sweeter, like they are in the US. Even Baked beans are sweet there (I've been told). They're quite sweet here, but not too sweet.

[everso]

Dec 23, 2010 12:08:22 GMT aubrey said:

I don't really have any chocolate cravings - I'm not supposed to eat it, anyway. But you're right. But it does worry me that things in general will get sweeter, like they are in the US. Even Baked beans are sweet there (I've been told). They're quite sweet here, but not too sweet.

I think baked beans are important enough to have a separate thread.