Cadbury has made a major change to Christmas selection boxes – and chocolate fans will be outraged --[Reported by Umva mag]

CHOCOLATE fans will be doubly disappointed this Christmas as Cadbury has shrunk its classic Santa Selection Box by ditching the Double Decker. The 1970s and 80s favourite chocolate bar has been replaced with a caramel Freddo, which is around half the size. The Santa Selection Box will include a caramel Freddo this year Last year’s box included the popular Double Decker This year’s box weighs just 125g, down by 14 per cent from 145g last year. It is more than a quarter smaller than the box was in 2018, when it was 169g. But the price has increased.  In 2021 – when it was bigger – it was available in supermarkets for between £1.25 and £2.  This year, it costs between £1.75 and £2.75 at the UK’s four main supermarket chains. Consumer expert Martyn James described the exchange of the Double Decker for a caramel Freddo as an “outrageous example of shrinkflation” – where companies sell a smaller product for the same or a higher price. “A Freddo is the lowliest of chocs and is not a fair swap for the majestic Double Decker,” he said, adding that Cadbury had “ruined” the Christmas classic. This is not the first time that Cadbury’s has left fans furious this year after it made changes to its chocolates. Shoppers were in uproar in April after noticing Dairy Milk orange bars have been axed from shelves. Meanwhile, in August the popular Darkmilk bar suddenly vanished from supermarket shelves. The former British brand Cadbury’s – now owned by US food giant Mondelez – came under fire in 2018 for removing the Fudge from the Santa selection box and replacing it with an Oreo bar. But since U-turning on the move and reintroducing the family favourite in 2019, it has made repeated changes to the box which have left customers short-changed. The latest move is thought to be the fourth time in six years the chocolate maker has cut the size of its traditional selection box. In 2020, it shrunk the size of the Fudge in the box by 12 per cent.  Then a year later it cut the size of the Wispa and Double Decker bars, meaning customers got 24g less chocolate, compared with 2018. Now the 37.3g Double Decker is gone completely, with the replacement caramel Freddo weighing it at just 19.5g. Overall, there is 44g less chocolate in the box this year than there was in 2018. It now includes small versions of Fudge, Wispa and Crunchie, a treatsize pack of mini buttons and small Dairy Milk bar and the caramel Freddo. A 180g bar of Dairy Milk contains more chocolate and costs less at most supermarkets, at between £2 and £2.50. Mondelez has been approached for comment.  How to save money on chocolate We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don't have to break the bank buying your favourite bar. Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs… Go own brand – if you’re not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you’ll save by going for the supermarket’s own brand bars. Shop around – if you’ve spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it’s cheaper elsewhere. Websites like Trolley.co.uk let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you’re getting the best deal. Look out for yellow stickers – supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they’ve been reduced. They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged. Buy bigger bars – most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar. So if you’ve got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk. Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

CHOCOLATE fans will be doubly disappointed this Christmas as Cadbury has shrunk its classic Santa Selection Box by ditching the Double Decker.

The 1970s and 80s favourite chocolate bar has been replaced with a caramel Freddo, which is around half the size.

This year’s box weighs just 125g, down by 14 per cent from 145g last year. It is more than a quarter smaller than the box was in 2018, when it was 169g.

But the price has increased. 

In 2021 – when it was bigger – it was available in supermarkets for between £1.25 and £2. 

This year, it costs between £1.75 and £2.75 at the UK’s four main supermarket chains.

Consumer expert Martyn James described the exchange of the Double Decker for a caramel Freddo as an “outrageous example of shrinkflation” – where companies sell a smaller product for the same or a higher price.

“A Freddo is the lowliest of chocs and is not a fair swap for the majestic Double Decker,” he said, adding that Cadbury had “ruined” the Christmas classic.

This is not the first time that Cadbury’s has left fans furious this year after it made changes to its chocolates.

Shoppers were in uproar in April after noticing Dairy Milk orange bars have been axed from shelves.

Meanwhile, in August the popular Darkmilk bar suddenly vanished from supermarket shelves.

The former British brand Cadbury’s – now owned by US food giant Mondelez – came under fire in 2018 for removing the Fudge from the Santa selection box and replacing it with an Oreo bar.

But since U-turning on the move and reintroducing the family favourite in 2019, it has made repeated changes to the box which have left customers short-changed.

The latest move is thought to be the fourth time in six years the chocolate maker has cut the size of its traditional selection box.

In 2020, it shrunk the size of the Fudge in the box by 12 per cent. 

Then a year later it cut the size of the Wispa and Double Decker bars, meaning customers got 24g less chocolate, compared with 2018.

Now the 37.3g Double Decker is gone completely, with the replacement caramel Freddo weighing it at just 19.5g.

Overall, there is 44g less chocolate in the box this year than there was in 2018.

It now includes small versions of Fudge, Wispa and Crunchie, a treatsize pack of mini buttons and small Dairy Milk bar and the caramel Freddo.

A 180g bar of Dairy Milk contains more chocolate and costs less at most supermarkets, at between £2 and £2.50.

Mondelez has been approached for comment. 

How to save money on chocolate

We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don't have to break the bank buying your favourite bar.

Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs…

Go own brand – if you’re not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you’ll save by going for the supermarket’s own brand bars.

Shop around – if you’ve spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it’s cheaper elsewhere.

Websites like Trolley.co.uk let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you’re getting the best deal.

Look out for yellow stickers – supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they’ve been reduced.

They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged.

Buy bigger bars – most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar.

So if you’ve got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

The following news has been carefully analyzed, curated, and compiled by Umva Mag from a diverse range of people, sources, and reputable platforms. Our editorial team strives to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information we provide. By combining insights from multiple perspectives, we aim to offer a well-rounded and comprehensive understanding of the events and stories that shape our world. Umva Mag values transparency, accountability, and journalistic integrity, ensuring that each piece of content is delivered with the utmost professionalism.

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