AUSTRALIA | CHOICE has revealed products from Woolworths, Aldi, and Lindt that are set to be popular this Christmas. Their sizes have decreased while their prices have increased or stayed the same.
“This festive season, chocolates, cakes, and tarts from big brands are among the latest items to shrink in size but increase in price. This is the last thing people want when they set out to stock their pantries for Christmas, particularly during a cost of living crisis,” said CHOICE journalist Liam Kennedy.
“CHOICE’s latest round of nationally representative research found Australians are already struggling with the cost of food and groceries, with 87 percent of households worried about how much they’re spending at the supermarket.”
Woolworths Rocky Road and Salted Caramel Tarts
In the lead-up to Christmas 2023, Woolworths was selling its home brand Rocky Road and Salted Caramel tarts in 240-gram and 210-gram packets. However, both products are now only available in 180-gram portions, and their prices have increased from AUD 7.50 to AUD 8.
“Rocky Road fans are now paying 42 percent more per 100 grams for the tarts than last year. Woolworths said the shift to lighter tarts was primarily driven by customer feedback requesting a finer, crispier shell and that the price increase was due to rising production costs.”
Lindt chocolates
Lindt chocolates have also been hit by shrinkflation. The company’s Christmas Medley Bag shrunk from 414 grams in November last year to 390 grams this year, but the price has remained the same at AUD 36.
Meanwhile, Lindt’s Limited Edition Champagne Gala Box has become even more limited, dropping from 433 grams for AUD 34 in December 2023 to 396g for AUD 36 in November this year.
Aldi Christmas cake
Aldi’s Kringle & Co's single servings of iced Christmas cake have decreased in size from 100g to 90g, and the price has increased by 10 cents—to AUD 2.39 from AUD 2.29.
“When we reached out to Aldi, it said it understands the move will be unpopular, but didn’t explain why the size of the cake had been reduced.”
CHOICE has welcomed the government’s plan to combat shrinkflation with the changes to the Unit Pricing Code it proposed in October. However, it has called for further action to ensure consumers were aware of products affected by shrinkflation.
“Many supporters have shared their frustration around the ongoing shrinkflation in supermarkets. Consumers deserve better visibility when a product has shrunk in size but its price has stayed the same or increased. Placing labels on shelves to notify people when this happens would help everyone make better-informed decisions while shopping.”
