UK households are being warned about a major change to Nivea sun cream, which has been shrunk by a fifth while the price remains unchanged. The product, once sold in 50ml tubes, now comes in 40ml containers but still costs £8.50.
Customer Outrage Over Shrinkflation
Nivea has faced accusations of "predatory" shrinkflation after reducing the size of its ultra-sensitive 50 SPF range. One customer expressed frustration on the Boots website, stating: "Shrinking sunscreen is absolutely predatory because you can’t just use less."
Nivea's Response
In response, Nivea explained that the change is due to the use of "higher-quality ingredients" and improvements to "the sustainability of the packaging." The company added: "As part of these improvements, the fill volume was moderately adjusted from 50ml to 40ml. The fill volume is clearly indicated on the product packaging."
Which? Campaigns for Transparency
Consumer group Which? has previously warned supermarkets and manufacturers to be more open about shrinkflation and skimpflation. When Which? asked shoppers for examples of products that had shrunk or contained fewer key ingredients, they received an overwhelming response, including boxes of tea bags and sausages with less pork.
Ele Clark, retail editor for Which?, said: "Supermarkets and manufacturers must be more upfront by making sure changes to popular products are clear, and by ensuring that unit pricing is prominent, legible and consistent in-store and online so that shoppers can easily compare prices across different brands and pack sizes."
Industry Perspective
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, commented: "Nonetheless, given the challenges facing households from the cost of living squeeze, retailers are solely focused on finding ways to limit rising prices for customers against the rising cost of production, while maintaining the excellent quality of products." He added: "Prices and sizes of all products are clearly labelled so that customers can make informed decisions about their purchases."
