06 March 2024 , 09:51
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Colin the Caterpillar cake has been one of M&S's staples for years, so much so that it has spawned imitators that have caused supermarket wars.
The high street retailer even brought out Connie the Caterpillar back in 2016, as a 'female' counterpart to the original delicious chocolate cake. This year M&S has produced a special limited edition Mother's Day version of Connie - with a switched-up design that gives the character a new spa-inspired look.
While the new baked treat has delighted many fans with its chocolate cucumber slices and special towel, some shoppers have been left fuming over one important aspect of the design.
People shared their fury over the size of the limited edition Connie - with people feeling as though she had fallen victim to what's known as 'shrinkflation' - where companies sell less of your favourite groceries, for the same price, or sometimes even more.
"Why is it half size?" wrote one fan on the retailer's Instagram post announcing the launch of the spa-visiting Connie, with another commenting: "Instead of making the special ones half size I wish you would still do them full size. The family doesn't get any smaller just because it's a special occasion".
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Shrinkflation has been running rampant on the high street, with many shoppers left unhappy that with soaring costs for many common products, they are actually getting less for their money.
The BBC notes that consumers don't always notice this trend straight away, because it is often introduced incrementally by companies when inflation is high, but the bad news is, that it's rarely reversed when the economy improves, because "companies generally seize the opportunity to use less product and make the same amount – or more."
This trend can be seen across products, from butter to toothpaste. Even if companies initially do this in an attempt to keep prices down, if you notice that the items you regularly pop in your trolley at the supermarket are not going as far as they used to, make sure you're comparing the unit price on similar products on the shelf to get the most bang for your buck.
Despite some criticism, many people were delighted over the sweet details on the 'Absolutely Spa-vellous' cake that M&S released this year.
The Metro reports that last year, Connie cost only £5, but this year it will set you back £6.50 - and you only get 350g for that, whereas the original Connie's and Colin's weigh in at 625g.
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