Shoppers furious as popular cat food pouches shrink by 15% – but the price has stayed the same
PET owners are the latest victim of shrinkflation after a popular range of cat food was reduced by 15% per pouch – sparking a wave of outrage from frustrated shoppers.
Felix Original pouches went from 100g to 85g last year, but the pricier As Good As It Looks ones remained at 100g.
But this month they also were shrunk down to 85g with the cost remaining the same at around £5 for a box of 12 or £15 for a box of 40.
Customers who shop around might be able to find a deal, like in Tesco at the moment the 12-packs are £4 if you have a Clubcard.
But the change in the size has outraged cat owners who have complained on various platforms that they will now have to buy more pouches.
One said on Trustpilot: “Just bought Felix As Good As It Looks from Tesco for usual £5.00 price for twelve, only to discover that the size of pouches has been reduced from 100g to 85g.
“15% less food for the same price!!!!! Absolutely disgusted as this is such an underhand way of charging more.
“In addition, cats are used to getting 100g. I have four cats to feed.
“This just means having to mess about giving them extra from more pouches- what a pain.”
Another added on Ocado.com: “Gone from 100g/sachet to 85g/sachet as of January 1.
“This means my cats are getting less per meal now as I don’t want to have to feed them more than one sachet to get the same as they did before. Not impressed.”
A third said on Instagram: “Some people won’t even realise either and will be now under feeding their cats because they will still think they are the 100g packets.”
Purina, which makes Felix pouches, explained that while the RRP of £4.99 for 12-packs is unchanged, the company has been running various price reductions through promotions.
It said the average price for Felix in the second half of last year was around £4.75 due to offers on the product.
A Purina Spokesperson: “As part of our transition into new mono material pouches, all Felix AGAIL skus [stock keeping units] are moving to a new 85g pouch weight.
“This packaging can be taken back to front of store to be recycled in the UK and can be recycled at kerbside in Ireland.
“The decision to reduce the pouch weight as part of that transition was based on research showing that cats typically consume less than 100g of food in one sitting.
“With this new, more ideal pouch weight, we aim to prevent wet food from drying out and ensure that cats have fresh wet food in every meal.”
OTHER SHRINKFLATION VICTIMS
Shrinkflation is a term used to describe when retailers decrease the size of a product while keeping the price the same or making it slightly higher.
It’s a sneaky way for chains to increase the amount they get per product and cut costs.
A number of products have fallen victim to the tactic in recent years.
Cadbury shoppers were recently left fuming after finding out that multipacks of Twirl chocolate bars have shrunk from four to three with the price staying the same.
Febreze caused a stink last November after reducing the size of its air fresheners while charging customers the same amount.
In July, customers were left furious after 600g boxes of Celebrations were slashed to 550g.
What is shrinkflation?
Shrinkflation is when manufacturers reduce the size or quantity of a product, while keeping the price the same, explains consumer editor Lynsey Barber.
Prices are rising and food and drink makers are reluctant to pass this on to consumers.
Instead, shrinking the item means the price tag doesn’t change. But shoppers get less for their money.
Some manufacturers have even put UP the price at the same time as making products smaller.
Another tactic used is known as skimpflation.
This is when the recipe of food and drink is changed to try and reduce production costs.
But shoppers still pay the same, or more.
It means shoppers won’t pay more when costs increase for the company making the item – but they will get less product.
Smaller products are easier for customers to digest compared to increasing prices, making it a popular option for manufacturers as it’s less noticeable.
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