FAIRY has made a big change to some of its washing up liquid bottles and shoppers are furious.
The Sun can reveal that big bottles of Fairy Original and Fairy Platinum have shrunk in size but shoppers are still being charged the same amount.
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Procter & Gamble the manufacturer of Fairy, no longer ships 870ml bottles of Fairy Platinum and selected supermarkets have discreetly replaced these bottles with new 820ml versions.
The move means that shoppers are getting fewer suds for their money as the new bottles cost the same as the older larger bottles.
Shoppers used to be able to bag 870ml Fairy Platinum bottles from big-name retailers including Tesco and Ocado which charged £3 for the product – working out at 34.5p per 100ml.
B&M fans could also pick up the same bottle for a penny less at £2.99 and Home Bargains shoppers could also bag the 870ml bottles.
But the retailers have now swapped out these larger bottles for 820ml version which cost exactly the same amount to buy.
This means that shoppers are now forking out 36.6p per 100ml instead of 34.5p per 100ml when they could buy the larger older bottles.
It comes after a Home Bargains shopper spotted the change and posted on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook page and said: “Bottles look the same, but the new one is 50ml smaller and costs £1 more than the old one at Home Bargains.”
Angry shoppers were quick to respond to the change and one said: “Shrinkflation shouldn’t be a thing… It’s a disgrace.”
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“It’s getting absolutely ridiculous,” said another shopper.
A third said: “We’re just getting ripped off left, right and centre.”
But it’s not the only change that Fairy has made to bottle sizes.
A limited number of 870ml bottles of Fairy Platinum are still available to buy at Asda for £3 after having their price cut from £3.50.
The Sun has also spotted that Fairy Original 1190ml bottles have been swapped out with smaller 1015ml bottles that cost exactly the same at supermarkets including Asda, Morrisons, Ocado and Sainsbury’s.
The bottles smaller big bottled of Fairy Original still cost £3.
This means that shoppers are now paying 29.6p per 100ml instead of 25.2p per 100ml when the 1190ml bottles were available.
Shoppers have also noted that 780ml bottles of Fairy Original which cost £2 in most supermarkets seem to have been swapped out with 654ml bottles costing the same.
Procter & Gamble failed to respond to our request for comment.
It’s the latest example of something known as shrinkflation, which is when items shrink in size or quantity, while their prices remain the same or increase.
Shrinkflation most commonly affects food and drink products – and it’s an easy way for manufacturers to cut costs.
Rising the price per given amount is a well-oiled strategy used by companies, mainly the food and beverage industries, to stealthily boost profit margins or to cement them in times of rising input costs.
It is a form of hidden inflation as shrinkflation often goes unnoticed by customers.
Companies run the risk of turning customers away from a product or brand if they do notice they are getting less for the same price.
Other items recently affected by shrinkflation include bottled beers, frozen vegetables, cheese, tea and coffee.
You can compare the prices of products across a range of supermarkets by using sites like Priceable and Trolley.co.uk.
It’s important to remember that prices can change from day to day if new offers come about if the supermarket raises prices – so take any prices you find online with a pinch of salt.
How can I cut my supermarket costs?
Research what you need before you go. Prices always vary by supermarket and it can pay to change up your shop.
One shopper ditched going to supermarkets altogether in favour of their local wholesaler, that way they could stock up in bulk, at lower prices.
While everyone compares the total cost items to get the best deal – many are still caught out by not paying attention to the unit costs.
Unit prices are meant to make it easier for shoppers to compare similar items of different sizes.
You should be able to see the unit cost of the product where its price is shown – it may be in small print.
Compare this with the unit cost of a similar item – for example the cost per 100ml or two different types of cola – and choose the item with the lowest unit cost.
Shoppers can also save £500 a year by ditching branded items from their trolley – so don’t dismiss own brand items.
Signing up for a supermarket loyalty card can often help you to get cheaper prices on essentials.
If you have a loyalty card, you may find you can get extra points or discounts, particularly if you buy petrol from the same supermarket.
The Sun recently compared supermarket loyalty cards.
