Please find our
position on the latest findings from Barclays which shows
more than half of shoppers have noticed that so-called
skimpflation has lowered the quality of some supermarket food and
drink products despite them costing the same as before.
Ele Clark, Which? Retail Editor, said:
"Shoppers might spot a smaller pack size or higher price before
they get to the till, but they're unlikely to notice a recipe
change until they've bought the product and sampled it.
"Quietly altering recipes to cut costs at a time when many people
have a lot less to spend won’t help rebuild dwindling trust in
the food sector, so it’s important that manufacturers and
supermarkets are upfront about changes to popular products - that
way customers can make an informed choice."
ENDS
PA COPY HERE
Consumers call out
‘skimpflation’ in quality of supermarket food and
drink
This story is embargoed until 00:01
- 05 Sep 2023
More than half of shoppers have
noticed that so-called skimpflation has lowered the quality of
some supermarket food and drink products despite them costing the
same as before, a survey suggests.
In the latest scourge to affect
consumers, 52% of Britons have reported seeing a downgrade in the
quality of ingredients in their favourite products while the cost
remains the same or has increased, according to a monthly survey
for Barclays.
Among those who had noticed
changes, 44% had noticed a change in the quality of crisp
products, 43% had seen the same for sweets and chocolate, and 36%
had noticed that their favourite cakes or biscuits were inferior
to before.
Just over a fifth of consumers
(22%) believe takeaways are decreasing in quality, while 20%
think the same of restaurant meals – both without a corresponding
fall in price.
Some 41% of consumers say they have
noticed skimpflation on products other than food and drink, with
44% believing the quality of clothing is falling and 37% saying
the quality of toiletries and cosmetics has dropped.
The fall in the quality of products
comes on top of “shrinkflation”, which continues to be front of
mind for 84% of shoppers, with chocolate, crisps and biscuits
remaining the products most commonly identified as being
affected.
The trends come amid a muted August
for spending, with year-on-year growth of just 2.8% noticeably
lower than July’s 4%, according to the Barclays Consumer Spending
Index, based on the bank’s debit card and Barclaycard credit card
transaction figures.
However, entertainment once again
provided a welcome boost, prompted by a 101% surge in cinema
spending driven by summer blockbusters Barbie and
Oppenheimer.
International travel spending also
held up, with airlines seeing a 32.1% boost and pharmacy, health
and beauty stores enjoying a 5.2% boost in pre-holiday
purchases.
Supermarkets and food and drink
specialist stores saw weaker growth of 4.5% and 4.9% respectively
as inflation slowed.
Almost a third of consumers (31%)
expect that this coming Christmas will be more expensive than
last year, and 17% have started saving already.
Despite this, consumers’ confidence
in their household finances and the ability to live within their
means has increased slightly to 67% and 72% respectively, up from
July’s 65% and 70%.
Esme Harwood, director at Barclays,
said: “The rainy weather impacted high street and hospitality
venues in August, but Brits were still keen to spend on memorable
summer experiences.
“The huge box office success of
Barbie and Oppenheimer meant entertainment enjoyed another strong
month, while holidays abroad boosted international travel and
pharmacy, health and beauty stores.
“Shrinkflation – and now
skimpflation – are increasing concerns for value-seeking
shoppers. However, Brits’ confidence in their household finances
is unwavering, suggesting they remain resilient in the face of
these inflationary pressures.”
Opinium surveyed 2,000 UK consumers
between August 22-25.
