SHOPPERS are being warned that they could be paying more for Quality Street and other festive treats.
For many households, tucking into a tub of Quality Street signals the beginning of the festive period.
But this Christmas, chocolate lovers could be paying more at the checkout after maker Nestle announced it has pushed up its prices.
The global food giant increased its prices across a range of items by 7.5% in the first nine months of this year.
It said it upped its prices to reflect cost inflation, which has hit the food and drink industry as well as shoppers.
The price warning came when Nestle released its sales results in October.
MOST READ IN MONEY
Foodies reveal the Christmas dishes to make in your air fryer & ones to avoid
I’m a money-saving guru – four things that are a big waste of money at Christmas
Mark Schneider, Nestle’s chief executive, said "pricing will need to continue" when it comes to the remainder of the year.
He added: “The challenging economic environment is a concern for many people and is impacting their purchasing power."
For the first time, Nestle has only published just the net weight of Quality Street – the weight of the unwrapped chocolates – rather than the gross weight including wrappers.
It means that while the boxes say they contain “600g net”, this is the equivalent of around 620g of wrapped chocolates, the measure used in previous years.
Most read in Money
Millions to get £300 cost of living payment direct to bank account from today
Made.com on edge of collapse as it reveals administrators are being called in
Millions of Brits eligible for huge £750 boost as 2 payments sent from TODAY
We tested hot water bottles… and the winner was better than Boots
The RRP of the chocolates changes every year – this year a 600g tub is £6.72 and last year it was £7.74 for a 650g tub.
This means it cost £1.08 per 100g last year and £1.19 per 100g this year – an increase of 11p.
Nestle said that the RRP is set on an annual basis when it releases the new Quality Street range and doesn't change.
But this doesn't mean that shoppers will be protected from price rises completely.
This is because is down to individual retails to decide what they charge.
But most supermarkets charge less that the RRP, especially when they are on offer.
A spokesman for Nestle said: “Quality Street is already on sale for this Christmas and final consumer pricing is set by individual retailers.”
It comes after The Sun revealed that Quality Streets now contain roughly 48 fewer chocolates per box now, compared with the end of the last financial crisis.
The cheapest place to buy Quality Street tubs this week
Here's how prices of Quality Street compare at supermarkets and high street shops.
But it always pays to compare prices so you know you're getting the best deal.
Prices can also vary day to day what deals are on at the time and remember you might pay for delivery you're ordering online.
You can compare prices on websites like Google shopping and Trolley.co.uk – which compares the prices of 130,000 products across 14 major supermarkets.
The Latest Deals app also lets you search items and lets you compare prices at several supermarkets to see where it's cheaper.
Morrisons
Shoppers that are members of the My Morrisons loyalty scheme can get two 600g tubs of Quality Street for £6.
This makes each tub just £3 each – the cheapest available right now.
Customers will need to make sure they scan their physical loyalty card or the My Morrisons app at checkout to secure the discounted food.
The discounted products are only available in-store at all 498 Morrisons stores right now.
Tesco
Tesco is selling 600g Quality Street tubs for £4.
Until today, it was selling these tubs for £3.50 for Clubcard customers.
In previous years, the supermarket had loyalty deals offering two boxes for the price of £7.
This deal isn't currently on but was earlier in the year, and could come back again.
That would work out as £3.50 a tub too, but of course you have to buy two of them and spend more overall.
Aldi
Aldi is selling its 600g tubs for as little as £3.49 in stores. But in some locations they are priced £3.99.
The discount supermarket slashed the price of Christmas tubs last year too including Quality Street.
This year it's also selling 650g Celebration tubs for £3.49 and £3.99 too.
Sainsbury's
On the pricier side, Sainsbury's is selling 600g tubs for £5.
This is full price and not currently on offer.
The retailer is also selling a larger 871g Quality Street tin for £8.
But that's pricier at 92p per 100g compared to 83p per 100g for the smaller tub.
Asda
The 600g tub at Asda is priced at £4, but for those with loyalty cards, you can claim £1 cashback on your purchase.
The retailer is also selling a larger 871g Quality Street tin for £8.
But again, that's pricier than t he £4 tub, and just goes to show that you should always check the price per wight when comparing.
B&M
B&M is selling a 650g tub for £4 – but you do get slightly more for that price compared to others.
The tub, which is only available in stores and not on the B&M website, works out as 62p per 100g.
That makes the tub actually cheaper than the Tesco deal which is 67p per 100g, despite higher price tag.
Iceland
Iceland has slashed the cost of 600g Quality Street tubs from £5 to £4.50.
Once again you'll find a bigger tub but at a more expensive price.
The 871g tin will set you back £8.
Amazon
The cheapest 600g tub of Quality Street we could spot on Amazon will set you back £8.69
Plus you'll need to factor in delivery costs, so you're likely better off visiting a supermarket.
Read More on The Sun
I tried on the Zara viral dress dupes from Primark, here’s how it went
I was left with a hole in my hip after botched fat jabs – don’t make my mistake
Quality Street is also axing its iconic brightly-coloured wrappers over 86 years since their release.
In a bid to become more environmentally-friendly, they will be wrapped in a duller form of waxed paper, which is recyclable.
Source: Read Full Article
