Spreads giant Upfield has shrunk pack sizes across three of its biggest brands – but retail prices have stayed the same or in some cases risen, The Grocer can reveal.
The brand has ditched 500g tubs of Flora, Bertolli and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, and replaced them with new 450g tubs. Kilogram tubs of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter have also shrunk to 900g.
In total, 11 new 450g SKUs have been introduced across the big four, with some remaining at the same prices as their predecessors and some prices rising [Assosia 7 w/e 12 July 2022].
Bertolli Original 450g, for instance, rose from £2.45 to £2.85 in Tesco once the swap was made – a 16% increase. Bertolli Light, meanwhile, remained at £2.45, which was its price before the swap. 500g packs of Flora Buttery Spread have been swapped into 450g tubs while remaining at £2.25 in Tesco.
In Asda, meanwhile, data shows the price of a 500g pack of Bertolli Original actually rose 85p (43%) to £2.85 before the swap on 29 June. At the time of writing, the new 450g packs were still being sold at that price.
Like many food and drink businesses “we are seeing significant commodity cost increases, including our raw ingredients”, a spokeswoman for Upfield told The Grocer. “This has impacted our supply and has increased our manufacturing costs.
“To continue providing consumers with affordable and quality products we have had to reduce the amount of spread in our 500g tubs to 450g to ensure a reasonable price point and have clearly stated this on pack.”
She stressed the final retail selling price was “always at the discretion of each retailer”.
During “these unprecedented times, we are committed to limiting the impact of these tough times on consumers and will endeavour to provide the best value possible, whilst still remaining competitive”, she added.
It comes as fellow spreads brand Lurpak became the focus on intense controversy last week after the Arla brand’s 750g tubs rose above £7 in some retailers for the first time.
Meanwhile prices for cheese and block butter lines have also been soaring in the mults, with The Grocer revealing last month that roughly 10% of total cheese and block butter SKUs had risen in price in the big four, Waitrose, Aldi and Lidl from 6 to 27 June.
The Grocer has approached Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s for comment.
No comments yet