Consumer Council: 90% of supermarket products have reduced quantities or increased prices

Hong Kong Consumer Council released its latest issue of CHOICE Magazine today (Oct. 15), revealing that over 90% of supermarket products examined in the past three and a half years have seen reductions in quantity or weight, with some reductions as high as 30%.

The review covered more than 60 products, including candies, biscuits, and pet food. Among these, three items (two types of biscuits and one brand of cat food) had their quantities reduced twice within just three years. When calculated based on the average suggested retail price per unit, nearly 40% of the products with available retail price information saw "effective price increases" of over 10%, with the highest increase reaching 26.2%.

The Consumer Council urged shoppers to pay closer attention to product weight or volume and any changes in packaging design or wording, such as terms like "new formula" or "upgraded."

The Council also called on manufacturers and retailers to improve transparency regarding product information and to display the change in product weight or volume clearly on the packaging to provide consumers with more comprehensive information and help avoid potential negative impressions of the brand.

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