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Resizing of Packaging and What has been Changed

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bigdog

Retired many years ago
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19 July 2006
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Over the years our suppliers/retailers have been playing games by reducing the size of the contents of things that we buy.

Ever week we are seeing new items being reduced in size including statements that this is what the customers wanted!

For many decades ice cream was available in two and four litre containers.

You may have noticed that Peters have been advertising their "Entice" Ice Cream on television during the past week.

In this weeks IGA catalogue; the quantity is now 1.8 litres described as "New Look", "New Range" and "New Flavour"

I have started this forum for ASF members to share and report their experiences and observations of suppliers resizing packaged goods.
 
Retailers also dare to say that clients insist on those size changes!
 
The one that amused me was the manufacturer of one of the chocolate bars, MARS, I think, where they decreased the size (the price, of course, remained the same), giving the reason that this was their contribution to controlling the obesity epidemic.

I suppose they conduct market research which indicates customers are quite possibly silly enough to believe this.
 

I suppose they learned that off the drug dealers. When they cut the strength of the heroin they don't cut the price and the addicts have to buy more for the same fix.
 
Calliope said:
I suppose they learned that off the drug dealers. When they cut the strength of the heroin they don't cut the price and the addicts have to buy more for the same fix.
Click to expand...
huh? - your on drugs

It's known as product downsizing. I listened to a show on Radio National about the occurrence in Australia and the sneaky ways it is put to the populace. Had a search but couldn't find the link to the podcast. Here is a link to a short US article http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...downsized-products/overview/downsizing-ov.htm

The 330ml stubbie is a good example.

If someone can find some useful Australian info that would be good
 
You do get the odd occasion though, when you realise that you get an "Extra 10%" or "extra 20%" on your product for the same price

I guess it just goes to show how good they are at their job, and how well they play us!

-Ed
 
This is the one that makes me want take up arms and start a revolution:

STUBBIES!

What's with this 330ml travesty??! It's outrageous!

At least the Poms still have pint (or approximate metric amount, ie 500ml) bottles.

Bring back the proper stubbie... in fact, bring back the long neck!
 
Brewers are also lowering the alcohol content of beers aswell to pay less tax.
VB for one has had its alcohol content reduced. Lot of unhappy VB drinkers.


Geea.
 
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/bus...terx2019s-cuts-booze-in-vb-20090730-e30y.html

FOSTER’S calls it Australia’s favourite full-strength beer, but VB, or Victoria Bitter as it is properly known, will soon scarcely deserve the title.

Two years ago Foster’s trimmed its alcohol content from 4.9 per cent to 4.8 per cent. Within days it will be cut to 4.6 per cent.

The move is to dodge legislation that increases the excise on beer, spirits and tobacco every six months, forcing manufacturers to either put up their prices or cut the amount of alcohol or tobacco in their products.

The next increase, to apply from tomorrow, should add about two cents to the price of a six-pack of beer and eight cents to the price of a slab according to the Tax Office.

But Foster’s is freezing the price of VB and several of its premium brands, cutting further the amount of alcohol instead.

At 4.6 per cent, so-called full-strength VB will have about 6 per cent less alcohol than it used to, on the face of it more than enough to offset what would have otherwise been a 2 per cent price rise.

But a Foster’s spokesman, Troy Hey, said other costs had increased, including glass and hops.

How will you know whether you’re getting the the old ‘‘full-strength’’ VB or the new one? For a while both will be on sale until the old stock sells out. Mr Hey said the new packaging would be ‘‘slightly different’’ and accompanied by a new advertising campaign.

The Tax Office expects the price of a six-pack of light beer to climb just one cent, and a six-pack of alcopops to go up five cents. A pack of 50 cigarettes will cost an extra eight cents
 
I too think its an outrage that our beer bottle are becoming smaller. When deciding on a case at the bottle'o I always hesitate about buying an international beer just for this reason. I tend to always go the Toohey New's. The difference between the two is over a litre of beer!

Like you Wayne, I also enjoy the UK 500ml sizing of take home beer. In fact, its my favorite thing about visiting the UK! I happened to find a case of Amsterdam Mariner lager last week at woolies liquor that came in 500ml can form. 12ltrs of beer for the same price as 9! Bargain!

Wicked hangover though.
 


When I was in NZ a few years ago, you could buy a six pack of VB for $6.

I came over here and was double some places, or usually around $10.


even when the exchange rate was a lot closer.

is this just because of the excise tax you mentioned?
 
Never mind your chocolate, chips and beers etc, I have made an amazing and more serious discovery... toilet rolls are now narrower than they used to be.

Yes, not happy Jan.

The toilet roll holder in our ensuite has a little spring loaded arm on each side goes in either side of the roll. Lately I have noticed that if the roll is moved to one side in the holder the roll now drops out on an angle.
The roll holder has fitted been there for around eight years but the dramatic events sorrounding the retention of the Sorbent Hypo Allergenic rolls is a recent and distressing observation.

What next, is nothing sacred :flush:

On a side note, a few weeks ago at the Hyde Park Hotel I asked for a pint of pale (Coopers Pale Ale) and if they served the original pints, the response was "we only serve the new metric pints".
I was going to enter into a discussion about metrics and pints but my darling wife's expression was sufficient for me to immediately terminate any scientific dialogue on the issue and just enjoy our evening out.
:bier:
 
Boggo said:
Never mind your chocolate, chips and beers etc, I have made an amazing and more serious discovery... toilet rolls are now narrower than they used to be.l
Click to expand...

And yet backsides are getting wider

Australia's prices rose 1.3 per cent in the past year, down from 1.5 per cent in the year to June, official data shows.
Click to expand...

I wonder if they take it into account that we are paying more for less.
 
Ah, Boggo, I've noticed exactly the same thing with the paper towel holder which operates in a similar way. I wasn't bright enough to work out that the rolls of paper towels were now narrower, and have been vaguely cursing what I thought was the reduced function of the holder gadget.
Of course you're right: the rolls are indeed narrower.
 
geea said:
Brewers are also lowering the alcohol content of beers aswell to pay less tax.
VB for one has had its alcohol content reduced. Lot of unhappy VB drinkers.


Geea.
Click to expand...
Coopers sparkling is still 5.8%.
 
drsmith said:
Coopers sparkling is still 5.8%.
Click to expand...

A lot of the dark Ales over here are about that... and in 500ml stubbies.

They go down quickly too. A few of those and you know you've had a drink.
 
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