Overview
- Consumer groups say manufacturers are quietly shrinking pack sizes while keeping or raising prices, and Hamburg’s consumer center maintains a public list of suspected cases.
- The Hamburg consumer center has sued Mondelez over Milka Alpenmilch after bars dropped from 100 g to 90 g as shelf prices rose from €1.49 to €1.99.
- On ARD’s Hart aber fair, ideas ranged from a price oversight body to VAT cuts on staples, while retail lobby chief Stefan Genth rejected state price controls.
- An ARD report found families can save about €500 per month by switching to supermarket own brands, which often contain more product than comparable branded items.
- Foodwatch says retailers’ touted “permanent” cuts seldom persisted and estimates an Aldi weekly basket costs about 35% more than in 2022, as ECB analysis shows food prices roughly 37% higher than in 2019.