CHIPS TWICE AS EXPENSIVE AS PORK

A kilogram of regular chips, a snack beloved by all generations, currently costs as much as beef in Republika Srpska—about 20 marks. It is twice as expensive as pork and a staggering ten times more expensive than potatoes, the raw ingredient used to make it.

PHOTO: Pixabay

This calculation reveals that even a kilogram of rusks, or surprisingly, pretzel sticks, costs more than a kilogram of pork, rivaling the price of chicken fillet. Pretzel sticks filled with peanut butter are in the same price range as veal.

Inflation, sanctions, and shortages of certain raw materials have driven up prices. However, hidden price increases have also been caused by the reduction in product weights. Have you ever wondered how much a kilogram of chocolate, jam, ajvar, instant coffee, or even popular refreshing mints like Tic-Tac costs?

Manufacturers have long realized that endlessly increasing prices, especially during inflationary crises, risks losing competitiveness in the market. Instead, they turned to a simple trick—reducing product weights while keeping packaging nearly identical in appearance.

According to experts, reducing product weights rather than raising prices exploits consumer psychology, as buyers are more likely to notice price changes than reduced package sizes.

The list of products with non-standard "round" weights keeps growing. Chocolates were among the first to "shrink." What used to weigh 100 grams now weighs 90, and what was 300 grams is now 220 or 270 grams. Today, a kilogram of this essential children's treat costs between 25 and 45 marks, depending on the brand. For pralines like Bajadera, the cost is around 59 marks per kilogram.

If you were to buy biscuits by the kilogram, even the plainest ones would cost at least 13 marks, while chocolate-covered popcorn would set you back about 20 marks. Biscuit packages have also shrunk, now ranging between 125 and 420 grams.

The same story applies to other products. A kilogram of Tic-Tac mints costs about 60 marks, while flavored rusks cost around 18 marks. A kilogram of hot dog buns would cost about 12 marks, and instant coffee or cappuccino ranges from 35 to 50 marks per kilogram.

Perhaps the most glaring example of consumer confusion is ajvar. Currently sold in packages of 290, 310, 370, 550, and 690 grams, the smaller packages disguise the fact that a kilogram of this seasonal product retails for 18 to 20 marks.

All of this ultimately leaves consumers unaware of the actual cost of many products. In the European Union, laws prevent misleading consumers about the price per unit, influencing purchasing decisions by highlighting what offers better value.

To combat this form of consumer deception, France introduced regulations that took effect on July 1, requiring stores to display warnings on products with reduced weights but unchanged prices. Similar laws have recently been implemented in Italy, and South Korea has comparable legislation.

Murisa Marić, executive director of the consumer protection association "Don," has been warning about this negative trend, increasingly prevalent locally and known as "shrinkflation." She advocated for a law similar to France's but noted that such proposals have fallen on deaf ears.

"I think we, as a society, have fallen into a rut. We don't react to anything—not even to negative trends that drain our wallets. Discussions occur only on social media, but there is no genuine initiative to combat price hikes, deceptive marketing, and producer tricks," Marić told Glas Srpske.

She pointed out that there are hardly any products weighing exactly one kilogram left on store shelves—not even salt, which some producers now sell in 900-gram packages. As a result, consumers bear the brunt of these marketing ploys, often unaware of the real costs behind the packaging.