No more Mars bars for me!

by Rachel Wait on 08 June 2009  |  16 comments
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I was pretty horrified last week to read that the size of a Mars bar and Snickers bar has shrunk by 7.2%. But the price has remained the same!

I was pretty horrified last week to read that the size of a Mars bar and Snickers bar has shrunk by 7.2% from 62.5g to 58g. But the price has remained the same!

I really hate it when this happens. Just a few weeks back, the same thing happened with my favourite cereal bars. I opened the packet to discover - much to my annoyance and disbelief - that the size of the bars had suddenly got much smaller. And yet I was still paying the same price. What a rip-off!

And don't even get me started on the size of Wagon Wheels and Monster Munch...

The reports I've read claim the price of a Mars bar has remained at 37p, while a Snickers bar still costs 41p.

However, not being totally convinced this was true, I decided to investigate for myself. And, having just scooted over to my local newsagent, I've discovered the price of a Mars bar and a Snickers bar is 55p. Hmm...

The alternatives

To be quite honest this little scandal has put me off buying Mars and Snickers bars in the future (not that I buy Snickers bars anyway as quite frankly I think they're horrid!). And it's not like Mars is the only company to make these varieties of chocolate bars. Most supermarkets sell their own version at much more reasonable prices.

The M&S equivalent of a Mars bar, for example, is called a Caramel Chocolate bar and costs just 35p. Admittedly, it's ever so slightly smaller than a Mars bar at 55g, and the Mars bar certainly looks chunkier.

But when it comes to taste I have to say there's not an awful lot in it. Having carried out my own taste test, I discovered the Mars bar is chewier, but the caramel in the M&S equivalent is more gooey - and that's how I like it! The M&S version also tastes slightly nuttier.

Other than that, I wouldn't say there's that much difference between the two bars. Just the 20p difference in the price tag - and I know which I'd rather pay!

Lidl goes one better, offering its own version (a Mister Choc Choco Caramel bar) for just 29p (54g). Again, this bar is quite nutty, but it's not as luxurious as the M&S bar. Yet it's still pretty good, and it's much better value.

The big three

Then of course, you've got the major supermarkets. Having had a browse on MySupermarket.co.uk, I've discovered:

• At Tesco a four-pack of Crazy Caramel Bars (55g each) costs just 99p - that's 45p per 100g. In comparison, a five-pack of Mars bars (58g each) costs £1.60 - that's a whopping 55.2p per 100g.
• At Asda an eight-pack of Caramel Bites (40g each) costs £1 (31.3p per 100g). The Mars bar five-pack also costs £1 at Asda - but this is 34.5p per 100g, so still more expensive.
• At Sainsbury's an eight-pack of Chunky Caramel Chocolate bars (40g each) costs £1.06 (33.1p per 100g). The Mars bar pack is on offer at £1 (normally £1.61). This is 34.5p per 100g - and therefore more expensive.

So clearly the supermarket own brands win on price!

Obviously I haven't been able to taste all of these chocolate bars - if I had, I wouldn't want to stand on the weighing scales for a while - but I'm sure you can't go that wrong with a bit of caramel, nougat and chocolate.

So my point is, if Mars is going to shrink the size of its chocolate bars but keep its prices high, is there really any incentive to stick with the big brand? I think not! I'm certainly going to be reconsidering my options next time I reach for the chocolate...