Cadbury has SHRUNK the size of popular Christmas chocolate – and shoppers will be disappointed

CADBURY has shrunk the size of a popular Christmas chocolate and shoppers will be disappointed.

The iconic treat manufacturer has reduced the size of its Buttons selection box from 375g to 340g.

When launched last year the pack contained Caramilk Buttons, Orange Giant Buttons and Salted Caramel Button.

This year it has been tweaked to include, Caramel Nibbles and White chocolate buttons, alongside the classic Milk Chocolate Buttons.

At the time, shoppers went crazy for the box, with one commenting in a social media post that they “needed this in their life”.

Representatives from Mondelēz International, the parent company of Cadbury, have confirmed to The Sun that the product has been reduced in size.

A spokesperson blamed higher cocoa and sugar costs for the reduction in the amount of chocolate in each box.

They said: “This means that our products continue to be much more expensive to make and while we have absorbed these costs where possible, we still face considerable challenges.

“We understand the economic pressures that consumers continue to face and any changes to our product sizes is a last resort for our business. “

While the amount of chocolate shoppers receive has reduced the price remains about the same.

Asda is still charging £5 for the selection box, the same price it set last year.

Meanwhile, Tesco is charging £6 for the 340g box or £5 if you buy it using your Clubcard.

The UK’s biggest supermarket charged Clubcard shoppers £4.50 for the selection box last year.

This is not the only case shoppers have witnessed of chocolates shrinking in size.

The Sun revealed this week that the Cadbury selection box now weighs just 125g, down by 14 per cent from 145g last year.

It is more than a quarter smaller than the box was in 2018 when it was 169g.

However, the price has also increased. 

In 2021 – when it was bigger – it was available in supermarkets for between £1.25 and £2. 

This year, it costs between £1.75 and £2.75 at the UK’s four main supermarket chains.

It also includes small versions of Fudge, Wispa and Crunchie, a treat-size pack of mini-buttons and small Dairy Milk bar and the caramel Freddo, axing the Double Decker bar.

When approached by The Sun, the chocolate giant also cited supply chain issues as the cause.

What is shrinkflation?

Shrinkflation is causing massive problems for shoppers across the world.

It is when manufacturers shrink the size or quantity of a product while keeping the price the same.

This means that consumers will be paying more per given amount.

Rising the price per gram is a well-oiled strategy used by companies to stealthily boost profit margins or to cement them in times of rising input costs.

Companies will often engage in shrinkflation when their production costs begin to rise.

A heavy hit to profit margins may force the company to simply shrink its products rather than increase the sticker price.

One of the best ways to notice shrinkflation is by spotting a redesign on the packaging or a new slogan.

This may mean the company has made a change and that change may just be the size of the product.

It is mainly seen in the food and beverage industries but can also happen in almost all markets.

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 notice they are getting less for the same price.

In recent weeks, pet owners were enraged after multipack Purina Felix Original cat food shrunk by 15 per cent.