Skimpflation on the rise: Half of shoppers say the quality of their favourite items has fallen despite them costing the same or more, survey suggests
- 52% of Britons reported noticing ‘skimpflation’ among their favourite products
More than half of shoppers have noticed the quality of some supermarket products has fallen despite them costing the same or more, a survey suggests.
In the latest scourge to affect consumers, 52 per cent of Britons have reported noticing ‘skimpflation’ among their favourite products, according to a monthly survey for Barclays.
Among those who had detected changes, 44 per cent had noticed a change in the quality of crisp products, 43 per cent had seen it in sweets and chocolate, and 36 per cent said their favourite cakes or biscuits were inferior to before.
Just over a fifth of consumers (22 per cent) believe takeaways are decreasing in quality, while 20 per cent think the same of restaurant meals – both without a corresponding fall in price.
Some 41 per cent of consumers say they have noticed skimpflation on products other than food and drink, with 44 per cent believing the quality of clothing is falling and 37 per cent saying the quality of toiletries and cosmetics has dropped.
52 per cent of Britons have reported noticing ‘skimpflation’ among their favourite products, according to a monthly survey for Barclays (File image)
The fall in the quality of products comes on top of ‘shrinkflation’, which continues to be front of mind for 84 per cent of shoppers, with chocolate, crisps and biscuits remaining the products most commonly identified as being affected.
Ele Clark from Which? said: ‘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.’
She said: ‘It’s important that manufacturers and supermarkets are upfront about changes to popular products – that way customers can make an informed choice.’ The trends come amid a muted August for spending, with year-on-year growth of just 2.8 per cent – lower than July’s 4 per cent, according to the Barclays Consumer Spending Index, based on transaction figures.
However, entertainment provided a welcome boost. There was a 101 per cent surge in cinema spending driven by summer blockbusters Barbie and Oppenheimer.
International travel spending also held up, with airlines seeing a 32.1 per cent boost and pharmacy, health and beauty stores enjoying a 5.2 per cent rise in pre-holiday purchases.
Among those who had detected changes, 44 per cent had noticed a change in the quality of crisp products, 43 per cent had seen it in sweets and chocolate, and 36 per cent said their favourite cakes or biscuits were inferior to before (File image)
READ MORE: Forget ‘shrinkflation’… popular brands are being hit by ‘SKIMPFLATION’: How food favourites are being made with cheaper ingredients while prices stay the same
Supermarkets and food and drink specialist stores saw weaker growth of 4.5 per cent and 4.9 per cent respectively as inflation slowed. Almost a third of consumers (31 per cent) expect that this coming Christmas will be more expensive than last year, and 17 per cent 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 per cent and 72 per cent respectively, up from July’s 65 per cent and 70 per cent.
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.’
She added: ‘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 inflationary pressures.’
Opinium surveyed 2,000 UK consumers between August 22-25.
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