This year, the seasonal arrival of popular chocolates such as Quality Street and Celebrations in British supermarkets is notable for changes in their sizes. Quality Street boxes have decreased from 600g to 550g, and Celebrations tubs have shrunk from 550g to 500g. Additionally, Toblerone bars have seen a weight reduction from 360g to 340g.
Earlier this year, Nestlé announced alterations to specific Quality Street shapes, including the Purple One and Orange Crunch, which have also lost some weight—dropping from 9.59g to 8.46g and from 9.06g to 8.72g, respectively. Similarly, the weight of a Terry’s Chocolate Orange has been reduced from 157g to 145g.
These reductions in product sizes, often referred to as “shrinkflation,” appear to be a response to escalating production costs, particularly in cocoa prices. Recent challenges in cocoa harvests in key producing countries like Ghana and Ivory Coast have contributed to this situation. Despite a recent dip in cocoa bean prices, overall chocolate prices in the UK increased by 17.2% in the year leading to July 2025.
Supermarkets typically offer discounts on chocolate products during the holiday season. However, retail prices for these items are also rising, with promotional prices climbing from £4 to £4.50 compared to the previous year. Experts attribute these price increases to consistently high costs for ingredients and other production-related expenses.
Representatives from Mondelēz International, which owns Toblerone, noted that changes to product sizes are a “last resort,” primarily driven by higher input costs across their supply chain. Nestlé indicated they regularly adjust pack sizes and retail prices in relation to manufacturing and transport costs, while Mars has not publicly commented on the matter.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/sep/08/shrinkflation-bites-as-boxes-of-quality-street-and-celebrations-lose-weight