Bog Roll

Do they think we're all stupid? Toilet roll is just the latest in a long line of products where the manufacturers clearly think we're blind, stupid or both... So I was renewing the Andrex and noticed a clear difference in size of the cardboard centre between the old and the new. I'm not quite such a pedant that I measured it but I'd estimate the difference in diameter was about 3mm. Not much really, but when you think of how thin toilet paper is I reckon your're looking at a reduction of at least 30 sheets. And guess what. You pay the same price.

This is an increasing trend - the price stays the same but the quantity you get for the price is reduced. This can be a decrease of more than 10% in some cases. Products which have done this range from your favourite bar of chocolate to your washing up liquid via tinned soup, loaves of bread and countless other products. In some cases the quantity is going down and the price going up at the same time!

Now, I have no major problem with increasing prices (well, we'd all prefer prices went down but that's not going to happen) - as long as they're justified. But why the subterfuge? Why not just keep the quantities the same as what everyone is used to and put the price up? It would seem the honest way of doing things. I know myself that I will tend to avoid products where this tactic has been used - I hope everyone else does the same!!