Exclusive:
Confectionary giants are struggling with maintaining price points as they opt to slim down the size of their tubs ahead of the festive season.
If you think Christmas chocolate tubs have shrunk in size, you wouldn’t be wrong.
Quality Street now contains around 16 less wrapped sweets than in previous years – a 20 percent decrease in size.
Nestle first launched their plastic Quality Street tubs in 2013 to go alongside their famous Christmas tins.
In 2013, the tubs weighed 780g and contained around 78 sweets. More than a decade on, the tubs now weigh 600g and contain around 62 sweets.
Here we analyse how Quality Street has changed throughout the years and how ‘shrinkflation’ will continue affecting brands and consumers as the cost of living crisis rages on.
Quality Street was first manufactured in 1936 by Mackintosh’s in Halifax, West Yorkshire. Since 1988, the confectionary has been produced by Nestle.
The first tin contained a mix of 18 individually wrapped sweets, including 11 chocolates and seven toffees.
The design of the tins has changed throughout the years, now focusing more on its colourful sweets and their shapes with its recognisable purple background.
Nestle launched its plastic tubs in 2013, offering a cheaper alternative to their more expensive tins to introduce “a new way for families and friends to share their favourites”.
But since 2013, the size of the tubs have changed as production costs increase and families struggle with the cost of living crisis.
Between 2013 and 2015, the weight stayed at 780g, with approximately 78 wrapped sweets inside.
From 2016 to 2017, the weight dropped to 750g and the number of sweets fell to around 75.
2018 saw a further decrease in size, going from 750g to 720g, with three sweets being dropped from the tub.
Between 2019 and 2021, the tubs faced their most dramatic drop in weight, going from 720g to 650g. The number of sweets inside also fell from approximately 72 to 65.
2022 saw the tubs drop to 620g, while 2023 and 2024 saw a further decrease to 600g, with around 62 wrapped sweets inside.
So, why have the tubs shrunk by nearly 20 percent since 2013?
We spoke to retail expert Matt Hopkins on why big brands like Nestle are being forced to cut back on costs ahead of the festive season.
“Large companies like Nestlé often face rising costs related to raw materials, production, and distribution,” he explains.
“Instead of raising prices, which can be more noticeable to consumers, they reduce the size of their products to maintain margins while keeping prices relatively stable.
“Shrinkflation allows companies to offset cost increases without directly impacting shelf prices, but the risk is that consumers notice the reduction in quantity and may feel short-changed.
“This shift is part of the reason smaller challenger brands are finding success, offering more transparency and a focus on value rather than cutting corners.”
He adds that it’s important for brands like Nestle to remain “transparent” with their customers on the reduction in size of their products.
“When brands reduce product sizes without clearly communicating the change, it feels deceptive and leaves customers guessing,” he says.
“While it’s understandable that businesses face rising costs, they should be honest about it.
“Shrinkflation has had a noticeable impact, especially as families become more price-sensitive around Christmas.
“While budgets have been squeezed, consumers still want to indulge in traditional holiday treats, but with many items shrinking in size, it can leave people feeling they are getting less value for their money.”
A Nestlé spokesperson told the Mirror: “Our Quality Street tins and tubs are not sold continuously around the year. Each year we introduce a new Quality Street range with formats, sizes, weights and RRPs based on a range of factors including the cost of manufacturing, ingredients and transport and the preferences of our customers and consumers. Final prices are at the discretion of individual retailers.
“This year we have an in-store range that includes a 1.936kg tin, a 813g tin, a 600g tub, a 300g pouch, a 750g refill pouch, and a 220g carton. We think this range and pricing is competitive and allows a good variety of choices for Quality Street fans.”
