Newer, lighter bags of Revels next to current, lighter bags which cost the same (Image: Lee Tyler / SWNS)
Lee Tyler, 36, noticed this because a shop had displayed both the old and “new” versions on the same shelf.
At a Tesco in Hook, Hampshire, last week Lee spotted older Revels priced at £1.75 with a “reduced to clear” price of £1.49, containing 112g of sweets. By contrast, the newly marked bag, priced identically at £1.75, contained only 101g – a reduction of 11g.
A similar situation was seen with Maltesers – while the classic bag reduced from £1.75 to £1.49 for 102g, the “new” edition sitting on the shelf, priced at £1.75, shrank by 9g to 93g.
And it didn’t end there; an old £1.75 bag of M&Ms held 125g but its new counterpart offered a mere 112g version; a cut of 13g.
It’s believed that these older, more generous bags will soon vanish from the shelves, replaced by their lighter successors. Lee, who has experience in retail management, commented: “I’ve worked in retail management for a long time and normally these are kept separate.
“I’ve never seen merchandise together before and I was chatting with friends about shrinkflation.”
He also pinpointed that while the contents decreased, packaging remained unchanged.
“The weight inside is down but they haven’t reduced the amount of packaging or plastic.”
The issue, according to Lee, is that the new bags are priced the same as the previous ones, “So you’re paying the same for less.
“When I was growing up these bags were a quarter of a kg each but these new bags were 93g for what they call the big pouch.”
Pointing out the price trend, he added, “These were a quid a couple of Easters ago and they’re going up at £1.75 now,”.
A spokesperson from Mars Wrigley UK said: “At Mars Wrigley, our focus is always on offering great tasting, high quality chocolate at the best possible value.
“We have been actively looking at ways to absorb the rising costs of raw materials and operations, but unfortunately, the growing pressures mean that more needs to be done.”
They explained the tough choices made for product sizing and pricing: “Reducing the size of some of our products, whilst raising prices, is not a decision we have taken lightly but it is necessary for shoppers to still be able to enjoy their favourite treats without compromising on quality or taste.”
Tesco declined to comment.