Fans of retro snacking brand Space Raiders are paying more for the alien-shaped corn and wheat treats.
Prices of the snacks have risen by as much as 50% in the supermarkets in recent weeks, according to research by The Grocer using Assosia data [12 w/e 21 March 2023].
Multipacks of six (6x13g) – in Pickled Onion and Beef flavours – for instance, rose by 50% in Tesco on 17 February, from £1 to £1.50.
Pickled Onion sharing bags (86.5g) climbed 25% in Asda, from £1 to £1.25, on 16 January.
Beef multipacks (6x13g) increased by 20%, from £1.25 to £1.50 in Morrisons on 24 January.
Shelf prices were “at the sole discretion of our retailers”, a spokeswoman for Space Raiders owner KP Snacks told The Grocer.
“However, along with other manufacturers of food and consumer goods, KP Snacks continues to experience inflationary pressures.
“We have worked hard to absorb the cost in our business and mitigate the impact on our customers, however we sometimes have to pass on some costs to remain a competitive business,” the spokeswoman added.
The Grocer has approached the retailers for comment.
Space Raiders launched to market in 1987, with an rsp of 10p per single pack.
The launch was supported by a TV campaign, which depicted a school trip being crashed by cartoon aliens and featured the strapline: ‘Watch out for them’.
The price increases come as owner KP Snacks is making concerted efforts to improve its appeal to younger shoppers.
It added a range of Mexican-inspired crisps – called Epic Eats – under its McCoy’s brand in February, having axed its Muchos range in 2022.
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