To wish that retailers/manufacturers would just put the price up instead of being dishonest?

[Fillyjonk75]

I.e. - putting cheap, randomly sourced meat into a product - horsemeat etc. Less seriously but also annoying - reducing the size of a chocolate bar/changing the ingredients and imagining we won't notice, or calling it it "New and Improved". Which nearly always means "We've found a new way to scam you by cutting costs and get more lovely profits for our shareholders". Going for cheaper manufacturing and materials resulting in a reduction in quality while still charging the same (expensive) price - looking at you, M&S, for the last 20 years.

Not a new thing, the food industry was doing this in Victorian times. Too much to ask?

Oops, sorry about the random space.

It would be nice.

But it's not going to happen. Most people care far more about cost than anything else.

Bit like Thorntons, cheaper than it used to be, but chocolate is like plastic
Would rather pay the extra £1 or so for the way it used to taste.

Pampers are another example, they sell a 'cheaper' pack now, comes in an orange packet-infamous for leaking and even their more higher priced packs are just as bad

Tesco also a bad one here, not just the horsey scandel, but also their own brands, cheaper tasting, but price not a lot less than the branded alternative!

The real villains here are the Major Multiple Retailers, not the manufacturers.

The multiple retailers in this country are a disgrace, but one in particular is beyond words. They constantly lean heavily on manufacturers regarding cost price & retail margins until the manufacturers own margin is squeezed to nothing so they have to find ways to take cost out of production to stay afloat; something has to give, be it quality of raw materials, packaging or just reducing pack sizes.

Then when the Retailer decides on a whim to drop the shelf price on any line they can do so without impunity as manufactuers are not allowed to discuss retail prices to avoid price fixing - but the retailer doesn't pay for it oooooh nooooo, the manufacturer has to try to find a way to maintain the retailers margins or face huge cash penalties [which incidentally are invoiced and deducted without notice so the manufacturer has no option but to find the money].

I hate retailer adverts saying 'we've cut our prices...' no they bloody haven't, they rarely pay for a penny of any of the promo's or price drops you see.

No wonder industry in this country is up the spout...

Just to clarify, I'm not saying this justifies the whole horse/beef debacle, I just think people should understand where the problem is actually coming from.

[lol just re-read my post, can you tell I work for a branded grocery manufacturer, much ]

I think I can imagine the one you mean, Scarlett. One of two anyway.

YABU. What I like is choices. We have £35 a week to buy food for a family of 4. TBH I don't care what is in our food as long as we can afford to eat it. The higher end food should be untouched though so people have choice