Amazing Shrinking Chocolate Bars

December 20, 2010April 12, 2012 Lee McCoy 1 Comment

The Daily Mail has reported that some of the largest chocolate companies in the world have been shrinking their chocolate bars to maintain profits in the wake of huge increases in the cost of cacao.

Since 2002 the price has risen from ~$1000/tonne to a height of ~$3400/tonne at the end of 2009 and although it’s come back down to less than $3000/tonne today there are still significant pressures on manufacturers.

Cocoa Futures Prices

The reports state that these leviathan chocolate companies are looking to maintain profits after VAT in the UK goes up in January. Even Poundland has got in on the act by agreeing with Toblerone to take one triangle off the bar so they can still sell it for £1! The nation’s favourite chocolate bar will also lose weight after Christmas with a reduction of 20g – from 140g to 120g.

Can we see this as a good thing in that people that do dose up on these high sugar, low quality snacks may actually end up consuming less rubbish, or will they now buy two bars instead of the one?

VAT rises but food shrinks – Mirror
Now Kraft makes an old Cadbury favourite 14% smaller – Daily Mail
Confectionery companies downsizing to beat VAT rise – Guardian
2011’s ‘incredible shrinking chocolates’ – Scotsman

Victoria (District Chocoholic)

Oh my, a post with both quantitative analysis and chocolate – two of my favorite things.

I have to say, I wonder if this whole “chocolate is getting more expensive” thing is being overblown. Besides, most of the supermarket candy bars that people eat (in the U.S. at least) have very little real chocolate in them. Corn syrup and palm oil, sure, but chocolate? Not really.