Chocolate lovers around the world are furious after Toblerone reduced the size of two of its chocolate bars – and kept the price the same.
Customers angry over shrinking chocolate bars
Read more: Toilet paper isn’t the only thing that’s shrinking
According to the chocolate maker’s Facebook page, the weight of the bars has been reduced due to rising manufacturing costs. The company stresses that the recipe hasn’t changed.
But those who purchased the smaller bars were shocked when they realized there are larger gaps between the Swiss chocolate’s distinctive triangles, the BBC reported. Many customers say they feel duped because the packaging remains the same.
It's caused shock and horror but #Toblerone's new size means we can get @andyverity to explain: 'What is shrinkflation?' #AskAndy pic.twitter.com/26bSERjdTh
— BBC Business (@BBCBusiness) November 8, 2016
On Twitter, this before and after image quickly went viral:
#toblerone #brexit I told you that leaving the EU would have serious consequences. Now I' m really upset. pic.twitter.com/w81cWYpNl4
— Mark Greenwood (@markcjgreenwood) November 8, 2016
Even if you don’t like Toblerone bars, this practice seems all too familiar. To avoid price increases, many companies are reducing the contents but not the packaging, just hoping nobody will notice.
This trend has annoyed Clark for years, starting with smaller rolls of toilet paper.
Currently, McCormick is facing a lawsuit from a competitor for slashing the contents of its ground pepper tins but not the size of the containers. Read more about the case.
Clark says you have to look at the product weight — not just price — to identify a true deal.
“I buy three bars of soap for $1 at Dollar Tree, but when you look at the product weight, it’s like you’re getting two regular-sized bars for a dollar,” Clark said.
In addition, look for unit pricing labels to help you compare similar items.
Read more: Can you tell the difference between these tins? Here’s what you should know
