14 DAY TRIAL // Mars UK and Mars Australia have downsized the popular Mars and Snickers bars while keeping the same price. The move was initially meant to tackle the obesity crisis by offering smaller portions of the chocolate treat, but the fact that a drop in price had not been operated as well has forced Mars UK to admit to an under the counter price rise, a report in The Telegraph says.
The change was made in the second half of last year, but it’s just now that the smaller versions have reached stores in UK and Australia. The reduction is considerable: almost 7.2 percent, from 62.5g to 58g, so it should have made a drop in price justifiable. Nevertheless not only did Mars not do such a thing, but it also failed to inform consumers about the change so, when the media got wind of it, it had to come up with various excuses for it.
In this sense, Mars Australia said the move was part of a broader anti-obesity campaign and, within hours of making this announcement, the downsizing of the chocolate bar was introduced in TV and radio ads. Mars UK also told the same story, but failed to advertise the change in the media, which is why it is now more or less forced to explain the real reasons behind it, amid concerns from several groups that consumers are being duped and taken advantage of.
“Like all food manufacturers, we have seen continued cost increases over the last few years. We look to absorb the vast majority of these costs by being more efficient, but on occasion we have to consider increasing prices. By slightly reducing portion sizes on Mars and Snickers we were able to continue to responsibly meet consumer demands for healthier lifestyles whilst not increasing our prices.” Mars UK says in a recently released statement. The “healthier” lifestyle choices consist of 19 fewer calories for Mars (at 261) and 23 fewer for Snickers (at 296).
However, Consumer Focus, the customer body set up by the Government, is not convinced by Mars’ statement, especially in a context where the practice of downsizing package size while keeping prices high is relatively common among British brands. “Shrinking the size of chocolate bars should be part of a drive to combat obesity. However, shrinking size but not price could damage consumers’ trust in the brands they love.” policy expert Lucy Yates of Consumer Focus says for The Telegraph.