UK shoppers slam 'shrinkflation' as popular chocolate bars reduce further in size
Many of the UK's most popular chocolate bars have reduced in size yet again, prompting angry shoppers to slam the 'shrinkflation' technique adopted by the leading brands. The term refers to a product decreasing in size or quantity, only for the price to remain the same.
As such, companies use the method to subtly get more money from the consumer - often without them realising. Recent cases have been highlighted on TikTok by user, Cost of Living Crisis Tips, who pointed out several changes to Cadbury products on supermarket shelves. They elaborated on the new prices in a video, which have affected multipacks and Share Bags of some of the nation's favourite treats.
"Chocolate is shrinking again - this time it's CurlyWurly," they began in the clip. The TikTok user claimed multipacks now contain four bars instead of five - with the £1.40 price tag being maintained.
Next, they revealed that Fudge multipacks are making the same move - proving their point by showcasing the packets of four already lined up on the shelves behind the packets of five, ready to be sold.
"You can see it with your own eyes," they said. "Here at Morrisons the four-packs are ready to go out, so if you like your Fudge, and you see a five-pack, then get them because you're not going to be able to get them soon."
Continuing in the same vein, Cost of Living Crisis Tips shared that Freddo multipackets have suffered the exact same fate, yet their price has gone up a "bl***y lot".
As for Dairy Milk Little Bars, they claimed they have reduced from six in a pack to four. "They're thin enough as it is," they slammed.
"It's the same with Twirls," Cost of Living Crisis Tips continued. "You used to get four Twirls in a multipack - now you get three. They think we won't notice like we're daft or something. But it's just an insult to our intelligence."
Moving on Cadbury's Share Bags, the TikTok user added that Crunchie Rocks treats have fallen from 110g bags to 100g - again with the price remaining the same.
They closed by noting Bitsa Wispa and Twirl Bites bags, which have undergone an identical change. "Shrinkflation is out of control!" they declared.
Writing in response, one TikTok user slammed: "I was debating between a pack of Twirls and Double Deckers yesterday and walked away with neither cos they're almost half the size."
A second person fumed: "They can only do this so many times, eventually they'll have to get rid of multi packs altogether! It's getting out of control. Iv been boycotting."
A third added: "It's so bad now, the quality has gone down, the quantity has gone down but the the price has gone up."
Whilst a fourth quipped: "If this shrinkflation carries on at the rate it is, I really do wonder what we will actually be paying for in a couple of years time, a packet of chocolate dust?"
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Got an electric car? Buyers can now search for homes with an EV charger - and where drivers can plug in locally
Electric car drivers can now find properties online that make charging headache-free, thanks to new features introduced by property search giant Zoopla. Zoopla has brought in new search criteria where buyers and renters can filter homes to include only those with home charging, and find the nearest on-street chargers to properties. British car maker Vauxhall and the property portal have teamed up to help drivers find the perfect home, after Vauxhall research found 40 per cent of UK motorists said proximity to EV charging will be an influential factor when they next move house. EV ownership is continuing to rise in Britain with 1.55 million cars on our roads now fully electric, according to the latest data from EV charging point app ZapMap. And yet Zoopla's analysis of all listings on its site in 2025 found that just 1.6 per cent explicitly mentioned EV charging. That is despite the latest figures from The Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders showing that one-in-four new car buyers is now going electric, with the number of EVs registered up by over 34 per cent compared to the same time last year. Vauxhall suggested property agents may be missing an opportunity to demonstrate a feature of a house or flat that is becoming increasingly vital for customers. Zoopla's EV-friendly search criteria features will help EV drivers who need access to charging where they live - whether in a flat or a house - and is the latest move in Vauxhall's Electric Streets of Britain campaign. Visitors to the Zoopla website and app can now filter properties to only show those with an EV home charger. They can also locate the closest public charging point to a property thanks to map and location data provided by Octopus Electroverse. Similar to how Zoopla currently displays information regarding the closest schools and train stations, the website and app will now also display information on the distance between a home and nearest public charging point across property listings. Daniel Copley, consumer expert at Zoopla, said: 'We're proud to be the first property website to offer consumers the ability to find the nearest on-street chargers to a property, and filter properties with home-charging. 'Buyer requirements are constantly evolving as a result of factors like lifestyle changes and commuting patterns. By improving Zoopla's search functionality, our aim is that we will empower more confident moving decisions, particularly for current and future EV owners.' Vauxhall's poll of 2,000 people found that a third of respondents admit a lack of accessible EV charging would actually deter them from moving into a specific property - a figure that rises to a massive 84 per cent for electric car owners. And more than half of respondents to Vauxhall's research said they would find it useful if property websites showed the proximity of the nearest on-street EV charging points for individual listings. As average UK homeowners stay in their property for around 17 years, homes being purchased today will take buyers well beyond the introduction of the forthcoming ban of new petrol and diesel car sales in 2030 for the vast majority of movers. Steve Catlin, managing director at Vauxhall, said: 'Moving house is one of the biggest decisions most of us make in our lifetime, and anyone who's done it knows how much effort can go into finding the perfect home. 'As EVs become an even more common sight on our roads, more and more people will be prioritising charging access when thinking about where to live.' Can you install an EV charger if you're renting? This time last year This is Money was asked about EV charger installation if people are renting a property or planning to move. Tenants shouldn't do this without getting permission from their landlord first. However, if they are willing, getting your landlord to install an electric car charger will not only make charging your EV much easier and less expensive, but could also add value to the property. According to the Open Property Group, the addition of an home charger will add around 1.7 per cent to the value of a property, which translates to £4,840 (based on the average house price of £284,691). If a tenant is able to liaise with a landlord and get a written agreement drawn up, then it could benefit both parties. Will dictate house prices in the future? We asked EV charger provider Cord if chargers will add value to property. It said that generally a charger will add value, but a person might have a particular charging brand they use and won't want to move to a house with a different charger. Cord said they don't see this as a big risk in the future because there is a lot of standardisation across chargers. While some extra features might be exclusive to certain brands most modern chargers can charge cars well and features like off-peak tariffs are becoming more standard. Much more important to most EV drivers is the availability of off-street parking. Cord told us: 'We definitely do see chargers as adding serious value to homes. And in not too long, homes without chargers will be far harder to let - just like homes without broadband are tough to let currently.'
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Family of detained Briton in Dubai say Foreign Office is ‘treating them like dirt'
The family of an unjustly imprisoned Briton in Dubai have accused the Foreign Office of 'treating them like dirt' after David Lammy cancelled a belated meeting to discuss how to broker their loved one's release just moments before their arrival. Wife Heather Cornelius and brother-in-law Chris Pagett spent three hours travelling to London last Tuesday for a meeting with the foreign secretary to discuss the case of Ryan Cornelius, the 71-year-old British businessman who has spent the last 17 years languishing in a Dubai jail. He is the longest currently detained Briton on charges understood to be unfair. The father-of-three, 71, has spent his children's lives imprisoned over an alleged £370m fraud. The United Arab Emirates says he illegally obtained a loan from the government-affiliated Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) by bribing staff members, but the United Nations says the charge of fraud is unjust. Last month, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning his detention in 'inhumane conditions' in Al-Awir prison and calling for his 'immediate and unconditional release'. The UAE says Mr Cornelius cannot be released until his debt is repaid, despite the DIB having seized assets from the British businessman exceeding £800m. Mr Cornelius accuses the DIB, which is chaired by a senior, non-royal government official, of being his 'effective jailers'. The previous foreign secretary, Lord David Cameron, met with Ms Cornelius and Mr Pagett last year to help broker Mr Cornelius' release, but the family say the succeeding Labour government has been less helpful, despite Mr Lammy championing the need for improved advocacy for Brits arbitrarily detained abroad. Sir Keir Starmer is also reportedly on the brink of agreeing a £1.6 billion trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, of which the UAE is a key member. After Ms Cornelius delivered a letter to the prime minister in April calling for him to intervene, the Foreign Office got in contact to organise a meeting. Ms Cornelius was initially hesitant, as she had requested a meeting with the prime minister, but accepted the invitation to see Mr Lammy in the hope that, even if previous negotiations with foreign secretaries had not yielded results, this latest encounter might have some positive effect. But after days of sleepless nights in anticipation of the meeting, Ms Cornelius found herself plunged back into ' despair' and 'hopelessness' on the side of the M4, as an official told her and Mr Pagett that the meeting had been suddenly cancelled. The low-level diplomat said the meeting could not go ahead because the junior official for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, had been taken ill. They declined to explain why that would impact a meeting with Mr Lammy, or why this could not have been conveyed to them before they were nearing London for their 5.30pm appointment. They added that they would be in touch later to discuss reorganising the appointment. In a letter sent by Mr Pagett to the Foreign Office on Wednesday morning, seen by The Independent, the brother-in-law said Ms Cornelius then broke out into a 'bleak howl'. Addressing a Foreign Office diplomat, Mr Pagett wrote: 'I hope you never have to hear a member of your family emit the bleak howl of utter despair which I heard from Heather yesterday.' Speaking later on Wednesday, Mr Pagett said he had 'never been so angry' in his life, describing the way the Foreign Office had handled them as 'callous'. 'They make you feel like s**t,' he said. For Mr and Ms Cornelius, this latest 'kick in the teeth' from the Foreign Office causes further damage to their hopes of him ever being released. While the European parliament and the UN continue to call for Mr Cornelius' release, the Foreign Office persists in being 'shifty' and lacking in empathy, Mr Pagett said.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
SunPower Maxeon 7 solar panel review: best for longevity
If you're investing in solar power for the long haul, the SunPower Maxeon 7 solar panel stands out for its exceptional warranty and durability. In this SunPower Maxeon 7 review, we explain why it's our top choice for longevity and how it compares to other brands on the market. Whether you're trying to cut your energy bills or make your home more sustainable, solar panels can be a smart investment. To help you get started, we've reviewed the best solar panels available in the UK and compared leading products side by side. You can also check out our guide to the best solar panel installers to ensure a quality installation. The solar panel market is a competitive one, with plenty of unfamiliar brands offering fairly similar products. But choosing the best solar panels in the UK isn't as simple as picking the model with the highest efficiency or the longest warranty. Many panels now offer similar specs on paper — comparable power output, 25- to 30-year lifespans, and sleek all-black designs. But with installation often being the largest part of the overall cost of solar panels, and British weather posing its own set of challenges, the stakes for getting the right system are high. The boom in commercial solar farms has helped push the technology forward. Installation is still the biggest cost, so it pays to invest in long-lasting panels. Fortunately, costs have fallen dramatically over the past two decades, especially as China has scaled up manufacturing and innovation. But fitting panels still involves scaffolding, labour, and additional equipment to connect to your home mains, so it's wise to factor in total system cost, not just the panel price when choosing the best solar panel for your home. Why choose the SunPower Maxeon 7? Price, installed: £1250 per kW Efficiency: 24 per cent Wattage per panel: 475W Type: N-Type Made in: Malaysia and the Philippines Degradation: 90.8 per cent after 30 years Warranty: 40 years with registration, only for certain fitters A pricier unit than most, the SunPower Maxeon 7 solar panel also has the staying power to justify the extra expense. It's the only solar panel in our roundup to offer an industry-leading 40-year warranty, making it ideal for homeowners prioritising long-term peace of mind. The catch is that you must register the product to access this extended coverage, and only certain installers qualify, so be sure to ask your provider if this is important to you. The panel also delivers high efficiency, strong power output and minimal degradation—it will retain more than 90% of its original power output even after 30 years. Its high output per panel makes the Maxeon 7 a smart choice for homes with limited roof space. Whilst still using the SunPower brand, Singapore-based Maxeon was spun off from its American parent company, SunPower, in 2020. The company is now headquartered in Singapore and listed on the New York Stock Exchange. China's TCL Technology Group owns more than a third of its shares, while France's TotalEnergies holds roughly 25%. Weighing just 21kg, the panel is relatively light for its size. It measures 1.79m x 1.04m with a depth of 4cm. One note of caution: Maxeon's financial performance has been under pressure in recent years. The company lost its largest customer following the 2020 split from SunPower, which negatively impacted revenues. In 2024, Maxeon announced plans to sell its non-US business to its main investor, TCL. For more on longevity, see our guide to how long solar panels last. Pros: Cons: For those seeking top-tier solar solutions, Maxeon Solar Technologies stands as a steadfast leader in the PV sector, backed by a dedicated network Stratford Energy How we compiled our guide To compile our list, we spoke to experts on the ground and have broken down the top-performing brands based on real-world value, not just technical specs. We've prioritised long-term performance, value for money, and the reputation of the best solar panel installers in the UK. And if you're wondering are solar panels worth it for your home, this guide is designed to help you make a smart, informed decision that pays off over time—whether you're upgrading an old array or fitting solar panels for the first time. Most panels are guaranteed for 25 years and offer similar power output, size, efficiency and looks. So we've weighted our judgement towards cost and degradation, which describes how much power the cells will provide after a number of years. The higher the percentage, the better. Much of your decision will also depend on which installer you go with, as many have preferred brands they work with due to bulk purchasing. You'll also see a lot of unfamiliar Chinese names as you do your research, but many of these are Tier-1 manufacturers in clean energy with strong track records in quality and durability.
