When is a Malteser not a Malteser?

[mercalia]

"Mars has blamed rising costs for its decision to shrink the size of Maltesers packets.

The firm has reduced the weight of the product's 121g pouches to 103g, a cut of almost 15%.

The decrease was spotted by food retail expert Steve Dresser, who also noticed that packets of Mars' Galaxy Counters have been dropped from 126g to 112g in weight"

Dont know about you I would refer they kept the size the same and put up the price rather than this. Atleast we would then know whats happening and whether it was fair? I bet we can all remember how BIG eg Mars bars were when we were kids ( and not just because we had small hands ), they have got smaller and smaller.


http://a.msn.com/r/2/AAktmz0?a=1&m=en-gb

[SpannerGeek]

"Mars has blamed rising costs for its decision to shrink the size of Maltesers packets.

The firm has reduced the weight of the product's 121g pouches to 103g, a cut of almost 15%.

The decrease was spotted by food retail expert Steve Dresser, who also noticed that packets of Mars' Galaxy Counters have been dropped from 126g to 112g in weight"

Dont know about you I would refer they kept the size the same and put up the price rather than this. Atleast we would then know whats happening and whether it was fair? I bet we can all remember how BIG eg Mars bars were when we were kids ( and not just because we had small hands ), they have got smaller and smaller.


http://a.msn.com/r/2/AAktmz0?a=1&m=en-gb

I hope this trend doesn't extent to Brooks saddles..

A B17 could soon be the size of a Cafe racers razor seat

[ferrit worrier]

Toblerone have just done thhe same thing. What about wagon wheels they started to reduce the size years ago.

[sjs]

Toblerone have just done thhe same thing. What about wagon wheels they started to reduce the size years ago.

My recollection is that Curly Wurlies used to be about a foot long.

[Psamathe]

Given the outcry caused by Tesco when Marmite prices increased I guess manufacturers are going for size reductions rather than price rises (though I understood that Marmite's manufacturers and gone for some significant price rises anyway.

Trouble is the £ has crashed (thanks to Brexit and Chairman May) and that means our imports (raw materials and product) are going to cost us significantly more. Some think it is a price worth paying for e.g. Sovereignty of Parliament (whilst we watch Chairman May spending a fortune in legal fees in the Courts trying to avoid Parliament getting any say in the most significant thing for the UK in decades).

Ian

[PH]

I bet we can all remember how BIG eg Mars bars were when we were kids ( and not just because we had small hands ), they have got smaller and smaller.

Mars bars reduced their size because of an undertaking to reduce calories to a maximum of 250 for any single bar. Pity they didn't reduce the price as well. But surprisingly they're still bigger than they were in the 80s. Some winners and losers over the years, biggest winner looks like KitKat
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news ... 1980s.html

[landsurfer]

Could someone please explain how the drop in the value of the pound can effect products wholly sourced within the UK ?
For example;
Marmite ... is a by-product of the Burton-on-Trent brewing industry ....

[PH]

Could someone please explain how the drop in the value of the pound can effect products wholly sourced within the UK ?
For example;
Marmite ... is a by-product of the Burton-on-Trent brewing industry ....

Even if you're right, and the product 100% originates in the UK, Marmite, glass bottle, plastic lid, paper label, cardboard storage boxes, distribution costs (Fuel)...
Then the answer is capitalism. If the capitalist wants the profits in $ or Euros and the pound buys less of those, then you need to pay more pounds. That's it, that's capitalism, that's the market, the capitalist names the price, the consumer (Individuals, organisations, companies, governments) chooses whether to have whatever's being offered.

[landsurfer]

I sort of get the impression your not a supporter of capitalism PH .....

[Psamathe]

Could someone please explain how the drop in the value of the pound can effect products wholly sourced within the UK ?
For example;
Marmite ... is a by-product of the Burton-on-Trent brewing industry .... :roll:

Companies have profit expectations (keep shareholders happy, etc.). And when a company is based in e.g. Germany they might expect €x profit from Germany, €y profit from the UK, etc. And because they are e.g. European companies they expect their profits in €. So where previously £100 profit from the UK have a value in €, now after the sterling crash that same UK £ profit yields far less and so their year end figures of €<big number> profit that will keep their shareholders happy is not lower because of the lower contribution from the UK.

But also remember there are a lot of "Made in UK" products that use raw materials imported from overseas (I have no idea about Marmite but a lot of stuff that could be sourced in the UK is imported from overseas because of costings, volume contracts, etc.).

etc., etc.

Ian

[landsurfer]

I drive past the Marmite factory 2-3 times a week, it's next to the Coors Brewery, the one which produces all those wonderful "Cornish" ales you drink when in the west country
The jars are made by Beetson Clarke in Rotherham.
I get your point though Ian.

[Psamathe]

I drive past the Marmite factory 2-3 times a week, it's next to the Coors Brewery, the one which produces all those wonderful "Cornish" ales you drink when in the west country :)
The jars are made by Beetson Clarke in Rotherham.
I get your point though Ian.

I'm not saying that is their reason and definitely not saying it's a morally sound way to run a business. Just offering a possible reason. There are loads of other contributory justifications.

Ian

[SpannerGeek]

I drive past the Marmite factory 2-3 times a week, it's next to the Coors Brewery, the one which produces all those wonderful "Cornish" ales you drink when in the west country
The jars are made by Beetson Clarke in Rotherham.
I get your point though Ian.

I'm not saying that is their reason and definitely not saying it's a morally sound way to run a business. Just offering a possible reason. There are loads of other contributory justifications.

Ian

Anyone now selling or building a bike for sale now in the UK has to price in the 20% rise in Shimano components since July. This is probably easier for the big box manufacturers like Halfords or Boardman (since they probably buy stock well in advance) but it'll be life or death to the smaller outfits. I've heard that Mercian are so nervous about the situation that they're considering laying off 50% of the workforce in 2017.

I've always said that Brexit doesn't become a problem till it hits the pound in your pocket. Just how hard it hits it when the EU decide that playing soft ball with the UK is counterproductive is a thing no one can predict. I cant see bicycles escaping a 20% price hike though, which is bad news for me and bad news for everyone reading this forum.

[mercalia]

Toblerone have just done thhe same thing. What about wagon wheels they started to reduce the size years ago.

ah so I see why 700c wheels became 26"?

[landsurfer]

I have heard that Mercian are considering moving back to the factory and saving the overhead of the shop.
But while they refuse to give even randomly accurate quotes for their eye watering prices for a single colour respray with transfers they will reap what they sow ...
Personal experience ...