Hobnob biscuits become latest shrinkflation victim after pack size is cut from 15 to 12 despite price staying the same
- Hobnob biscuits soar by 25% cent in price as it becomes victim of shrinkflation
- McVitie’s reduces number of biscuits in Hobnobs Creams pack from 15 to 12
- But it has kept price at £1.22 – increasing price per biscuit from 8.14p to 10.17p
- Makers claim move would ‘simplify the shopping experience’ for consumers
Hobnob biscuits have soared by 25 per cent in price after the dunking favourite became the latest victim of shrinkflation.
McVitie’s has reduced the number of biscuits in Hobnobs Creams packs from 15 to 12 but kept the price at £1.22 – increasing the price per biscuit from 8.14p to 10.17p.
British holding company Pladis, which owns United Biscuits and its McVitie’s brand, claimed the move would ‘simplify the shopping experience’ for consumers.
McVitie’s has reduced the number of biscuits in Hobnobs Creams packs from 15 to 12 while keeping the price at £1.22. The graphic above shows a rough impression of the changes
The size of the biscuits is the same, but Pladis said it was refreshing the range to introduce new flavours and wanted to bring all its pack sizes in line with each other.
McVitie’s added that the biscuits are now available across retailers at an ‘ELP RRP’ (everyday low price recommended retail price) of 50p throughout most of the year.
Hobnobs Creams are the sandwich-shaped version of the famous biscuit, similar to custard creams with a vanilla or chocolate filling in between two Hobnob layers.
In January 2018, Pladis said it would shrink some pack sizes amid rising costs, with McVitie’s Original Digestives the first to get smaller, from 500g to 400g.
The change happened four months after McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes were cut, with a 12-pack shrinking in September 2017 to ten, reported trade journal The Grocer.
A Pladis spokesman said: ‘As part of a refresh to our McVitie’s Creams range, including new flavours and a modern new look to the packaging, we have made some changes to the pack size of the Hobnobs Creams.
McVitie’s Original Digestives have also suffered from shrinkflation in recent years
‘In making these changes, we have aligned the pack sizes within the full range, offering a simplified shopping experience for consumers.’
A spokesman for McVitie’s later added: ‘As part of a refresh to our McVitie’s Creams range – including new flavours and a modern new look to the packaging – we have made some changes to the pack size of the McVitie’s Hobnobs Creams SKU (stock keeping unit).
‘In making these changes, we have aligned the pack sizes within the full range, offering a simplified shopping experience for consumers.
‘The McVitie’s Creams range is now available across retailers at an EDLP RRP (everyday low price recommended retail price) of 50p throughout the majority of the year. However pricing is ultimately at the discretion of the retailer.’
Hobnobs were the subject of one of comedian Peter Kay’s best-loved jokes, in which he spoke about their strength, saying: ‘Hobnobs, now that’s a biscuit for dipping.
‘Hobnobs are like marines. They’re like the SAS of the biscuit world. You dip a Hobnob and it’s like, ‘Again, again! Dip me again! I’m going nowhere me son, dip me! Is that all you’ve got, come on?’ They drink half your brew.’