"We understand that our consumers will not appreciate getting less chocolate", says Julia Lindberg, CEO of Marabou owner Mondelēz Sverige, in a press release.
The chocolate giant does not want to comment on whether the price on the shelves is affected.
"For competition law reasons, we cannot comment on our prices to retailers. As for the prices in stores, they are set by the stores, but our hope is that these changes will result in a more affordable unit price for consumers", says communications chief Negar Sabaghzadeh in an email to TT.
"The least bad"
Among other things, chocolate bars of 200 grams are being reduced to 160 grams, and several of the 100-gram chocolate bars will instead become 90 grams. The chocolate boxes Aladdin and Paradis are being reduced from 500 grams to 410 grams.
"The alternatives could have involved recipe, quality or price changes. In this choice, we are convinced that this measure is the least bad", says Sabaghzadeh.
Will the chocolate bars grow again if the cocoa price goes down?
"We are currently facing very high raw material costs throughout our entire supply chain. We absorb these costs within our operations to the extent that we can, and we always strive to maintain prices that make our products remain accessible to the entire Swedish population."
"Smart of them"
Ulf Mazur, founder of Matpriskollen, understands the decision.
When a 200-gram cake costs 45 kronor somewhere, many will probably refrain from buying. If you can get down to 30 kronor, I think it's smart of them, he says.
But isn't there a risk that the actors will take the opportunity to add a few extra percentage points of margin now?
We don't know that yet, we'll have to see after the summer. But I think everyone is so cautious now and I suspect that no one dares to change prices, i.e. make shrinkflation out of it, says Mazur.
The new, smaller packaging will be available in stores around week 20, according to the company.
