Nothing screams Mzansi festive season like Quality Street chocolates and those Baker’s Choice Assorted Biscuits that we reserve for special occasions.
But Quality Street lovers are in for a bitter surprise this year as a 2023 Quality Street Tinychart investigation found that customers were now paying more for less chocolates.
Freelance journalist Andrew Thompson published his findings on what exactly goes into a bag or tin of Quality Street. In a LinkedIn post, Thompson said he bought about 2 kilograms of Quality Street. He published his findings on www.tinychart.net.
In the Tinychart post, Thompson said he has been tracking Quality Streets in South Africa for four years.
‘Shrinkflation’ does not hit the sweet spot
While Quality Street prices have skyrocketed, Thompson found that the bag size is shrinking.
“Firstly, we found that Quality Streets have never been more expensive. Bag sizes continue to shrink, and prices have only gone up. And, perhaps even worse, there’s now little to no variation between bags,” revealed the Tinychart findings.
The age-old conundrum of shrinkflation strikes again, as chocoholics get less for more.
Less variety and shape shifts
Gone are the days of diverse assortments. Tinychart's findings show that each bag is now dominated by four types, leaving fans longing for the variety they once knew. Shapes have also undergone a transformation – what was long is now round, and vice versa.
Paper or plastic?
In conjunction to unfamiliar looking favourites, no variety and high prices, consumers on social media also bemoaned the wrapping. What used to be the multi-coloured plastic wrapping that children would put over their eyes to “see different colours”, is now just paper wrapping. Many have also defended the move to paper, saying it is more environmentally friendly.
Manufacturers blamed for cost-cutting
Chocolate enthusiasts speculate that manufacturers are cutting costs amid economic challenges.
As the festive season unfolds, Quality Street fans are left with a bittersweet taste, wondering if their favourite chocolates will ever be the same again.
IOL has reached out to Nestle SA and Quality Street for comment. However, Nestle has earlier this week apologised for the lack of certain chocolates.
Observations by overseas consumers found that the beloved Coconut Éclair mysteriously vanished from some tins.
A representative for Nestlé gave an explanation to a complaint. They wrote: ‘Aw sorry to hear that your mix didn’t contain the Coconut Éclair! Don’t worry though, you didn’t get any less! Sometimes, due to circumstances beyond our control, we replace one sweet with equally delicious sweets!’
Quality Street SA has also been encouraging its consumers to DM for assistance. To a number of complaints from South Africans, they said: “We sincerely apologise the experience. The quality and safety of our products is a non-negotiable priority.”
IOL NEWS