Editorial: Less chocolate and a whole lot of hot air

With chocolate prices rising on the commodity markets, the caring folk in purple had taken one for the team. Photo / Nick Reed

Cadbury has reduced the size of its family chocolate bars to help people manage their household budgets.

Oh, give us a break. Or even a Kit Kat, from the opposition chocolate maker, Nestle.

Seldom has the mix of spin and jargon excelled itself more than from the mouth of the local general manager of Cadbury's parent company.

With chocolate prices rising on the commodity markets, the caring folk in purple had taken one for the team.

The cut in the size of the bar, by one row from 10 to nine, with the price staying the same, was done to prevent people having to pay more for their chocolate.

The Cadbury people knew households were under financial pressure at the supermarket checkout and believed keeping the price down was more important than keeping the block size up.

Except, of course, each row of chocolate, each piece, is now costing more. And it would be a fool who would bet against this smaller block size staying the same price for long.

Watch for the spin when the prices rise. Then, it will be all about encouraging people to have fewer calories, less oil and sugar and to realise the benefits of even harder work.

Loyal consumers of a product will accept a price hike if the reasons are explained properly, particularly for items dependent on world prices.

The inconvenience of an extra 20c or 30c would pale in comparison with the insult of being given less chocolate but a whole lot of hot air.