The humble mud cake, a staple of Australian birthdays and celebrations, has recently become a source of controversy and outrage among Woolworths shoppers.

The iconic cake, known for its affordability and deliciousness, has been caught in a debate about 'shrinkflation' in supermarkets.

Shrinkflation is a cost-cutting tactic where the size of a product is reduced while the price remains the same, effectively making it more expensive.

The controversy began when shoppers noticed two different versions of the Woolworths mud cake listed online.

One, labelled 'Woolworths Cake Chocolate Mud', was priced at $6.40 and weighed 585 grams.

The other, 'Woolworths Mud Cake Chocolate', was out of stock and weighed 600 grams.

Woolie shoppers were enraged after knowing the price increase of the supermarket’s mud cake. Image: Facebook/Woolworths

This discrepancy led to speculation that the beloved mud cake had fallen victim to shrinkflation, sparking outrage among loyal customers.

However, a Woolworths insider has shed light on the situation, explaining that the difference in weight is due to the presence or absence of a bakery in the store.

'They are two different products. If there’s no bakery, it comes frozen and is just defrosted and put on shelves. That’s the 600 gram one,’ they said.

‘But if there is a bakery in store, like the bigger supermarkets, they decorate it by adding icing then pack it.’

This explanation seems to be confirmed by the online listings spotted in a video, which show one cake with ganache and one without.

However, this revelation has led to further controversy, as customers realise they may not have been eating the same cake as someone in a different area or store.

The mud cake controversy comes on the heels of a price increase last year, which saw the cost of the cake rise from $4.80 to $5.75, before landing at the current price of $6.40 in April.

Coles and Woolworths received backlash last year after the nostalgic treat price hike.

‘As a result of rising cost of raw materials and production, there have been some changes to the price of our Coles mud cakes,’ a Coles spokesperson said.

‘We know this is a popular product for our customers, and we do not take these price changes lightly.’

The price increase and the recent mud cake controversy have added fuel to the ongoing debate about supermarket pricing practices.

Coles and Woolworths have come under scrutiny as customers grapple with higher grocery prices at the checkout, while both supermarkets posted annual profits of more than $1 billion.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is conducting an investigation into supermarket pricing as announced earlier by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

While the Woolworths mud cake controversy may just be a misunderstanding, it has highlighted important issues about supermarket pricing practices and consumer trust.

As customers, it's essential to stay informed and vigilant about these practices to ensure we get the best value for our money.

Key Takeaways

• Woolworths shoppers have expressed outrage over potential 'shrinkflation' of their iconic chocolate mud cake.
• There is confusion due to two different weighted mud cake products listed online, but an insider explains it's due to whether the store has a bakery.
• Woolworths mud cake prices have increased from $4.80 to $6.40 due to rising costs.
• Coles and Woolworths face increased scrutiny over supermarket pricing amidst rising grocery costs and substantial annual profits.

What are your thoughts on this issue, dear readers? Have you noticed any instances of shrinkflation in your local supermarket? Share your experiences in the comments below.

 

[AlanQ]

OMG! next thing you're going to tell me there's not 1oo's of 1000's in a packet of non parallels.

 

[Maxiss]

$6.40 from $4.80 is a 33% increase in the price of a no doubt, carefully profit-targeted item that has a rather inelastic and ongoing demand. Yet Coles and Woolworths claim its because of rising costs. That seems to fly in the face of what the suppliers to Coles and Woolworths are claiming of being squeezed even harder on their wholesale prices. The simple fact is, and I am sure both Professor Alan Fels and the government's own inquiry, plus as evidenced by massive profit announcements over the last two years, Coles and Woolworths are indulging in price-gouging. And that is just one item that is up 30% or more in just two years, while the inflation average over that period has only totalled around 12% for the two years. It's time we started selecting CEOs and CFOs on the basis of their sense of morality and social responsibility. After all, as Professor Karl Albrecht found from extensive research over 40 years ago, there is no better formula for long term customer loyalty, satisfaction and resulting corporate profitability, than excellent and responsible customer service, and doing what customers need. In today's environment of high cost-of-living, Coles and Woolworths are a major part of the problem, when they could be part of the solution!

 

[IAN3005]

Coles and WOOLLIES....again!!!!!
For starters doughnuts are poison, second why shop there... they are thieving mongrel bast****