Unilever-Cremissimo: Price increases due to reduction in filling quantities

Unilever-Cremissimo: Price increases due to reduction in filling quantities

The consumer advice center is warning of a hidden price increase for Unilever's “Cremissimo” ice cream brand. Almost all varieties of this brand have experienced a reduction in filling quantities, while the selling price remains unchanged. This measure, known as “shrinkflation,” has led to price increases of up to over 44 percent, as revealed by the Hamburg Consumer Center.

Particularly affected is the “Cremissimo Bourbon Vanille” variety, which has been reduced from a family pack of 1300 milliliters to a 900 milliliter pack, but is still offered at the same retail price. This corresponds to a hidden price increase of up to 44 percent. The consumer advice center criticizes the fact that in some supermarkets the different pack sizes are placed next to each other in the refrigerated section, which can lead customers to unknowingly pay more for the same product.

Unilever justifies the reduction in filling quantities with an alleged change in the recipe, in which the proportion of sauces and pieces in the ice creams was increased. This creates additional costs, which has led to a reduction in quantities. This practice affects not only the “Cremissimo” line, but also Unilever’s Magnum ice cream. Some varieties of Magnum have also seen a reduction in the number of units per pack, representing a price increase of up to 20 percent.