Mars has been accused of ‘shrinkflation’ after its chocolate bars decreased in size by nearly a quarter – yet prices stayed the same.
Retailers said they began noticing in March the confectioner had cut single bar sizes from 51g to 40g, without lowering wholesale or suggested retail pricing.
The claims are supported by figures from a leading wholesaler, showing the 51g version – appearing as ‘discontinued’ – carried a 75p price tag and gave stores 24.24 per cent profit on return.
The new 40g version carries the same 75p price mark and a 24.24 per cent profit on return.
Jim Moorhead, of Top Cards in Livingstone, Renfrewshire, told Better Retailing: ‘I have just bought a box of Mars Bars and was shocked to discover they have reduced their weight by 21.5 per cent.
‘I think they should be ashamed of themselves, yet again, the small business owners are being screwed.
‘We’d have to price them at £2 to get the equivalent profit increase as the manufacturer.’
Another shop owner reacted, stating: ‘What kind of joke is this?’
A Mars Wrigley UK and Ireland spokesperson said: ‘At Mars Wrigley, we’re committed to delivering high-quality snacks consumers enjoy. Recently, we made select updates to our bar sizes and pack formats to ensure a consistent supply to our retail customers.
‘Consumers will find a range of pack formats – from on-the-go to sharing occasions – designed to reflect new ways consumers are snacking, as well as the need for affordability.’
‘At Mars, we will always offer our high-quality snacks at the best possible value for money. As part of our work to update our pack formats, we also increased the number of products in our portfolio under 200kcal per single serving by updating bar sizes.
‘Mars and Snickers bars are now slightly smaller. While retail pricing is set by individual retailers, our priority is always to provide the great-tasting treats consumers know and love, at prices they can afford.’
Last month, it was revealed Britain’s shoppers once again paid more for less for Easter chocolates at supermarkets – with an investigation exposing ‘shrinkflation’ across chains and brands.
The cost of chocolate across UK stores surged by 9.7 per cent in just a year, more than double the rate for overall food and drink inflation at 3.9 per cent.
Easter eggs and other chocolate products from brands including Cadbury, M&Ms, Galaxy, Maltesers and Toblerone all saw large price rises per gram.
Retailers and manufacturers said chocolate prices are rising quickly due to a severe global cocoa shortage caused by poor harvests, disease and ageing trees in West Africa – amid high demand and increased costs for energy and transportation.
The most striking example uncovered by the probe from consumer group Which? was a Galaxy Milk Chocolate Extra Large Easter Egg at Asda, increasing from £4.98 for 252g in 2025 to £5.97 for 210g in 2026 – a 44 per cent rise in price per gram.
The same product at Tesco also shrank by the same amount and became pricier, up from £6 to £7 – a rise of 40 per cent per gram, although it is still cheaper in Asda.
