Aldi Nord shocked customers: Biscotto waffles suddenly cost twice as much!

Aldi Nord shocked customers: Biscotto waffles suddenly cost twice as much!

The Hamburg Consumer Center has made an alarming discovery at Aldi Nord: A product that is popular among consumers now costs twice as much as before. The uncoveration testifies to a camouflage price increase that often remains unnoticed. A phenomenon known under the term "Shrinkflation" describes a tactic of companies in which the amount of a product is reduced, while the price remains the same or even increased. Thus consumers experience a hidden price increase.

This specific case involves the Biscotto waffle leaves from Aldi Nord. After a thorough investigation, which was completed on September 26, the Hamburg Consumer Center decided to mark the product as a "Mogel pack of the month". The price increase of 100 percent represents a new negative record, as consumer advocates emphasize. Such drastic increases can usually be observed in branded products, but not for discounters who normally position themselves as price leaders.

Aldi Nord and the reaction of the consumer center

In their response to the allegations, Aldi Nord justified the price increase with the "very increased raw material prices for cocoa". After all, the waffle leaves consist of 82 percent of chocolate. However, consumer advocates question whether this price increase is justified by raw material prices because cocoa prices have been reduced in recent months. In addition, Aldi has just reduced the price of his own chocolate brand Moser Roth, which also questions the argumentation of the discounter.

The term "shrink flation" only describes one of the strategies that use companies to secretly increase prices. Another common method is the "ski plant", with the quality of the products reduced. Companies replace more expensive ingredients with cheaper alternatives, which can affect the quality of the end products. Some misleading offers can also be used to increase the profit margins. A recent judgment of the European Court of Justice has held Aldi Süd responsible in this regard and ensures that consumers are not disadvantaged for misleading pricing.

The Hamburg Consumer Center continues their efforts to uncover such practices and to draw consumers' hidden price increases. This is accompanied by the general inflation development in Germany, in which the inflation rate was 1.9 percent in August. Despite a potential decline in September, some prices continue to rise. Aldi Nord will therefore keep an eye on, while consumers compared the prices in the shops and shop more consciously.

One of Aldi's latest efforts is also the redesign of its branches, which are increasingly relying on sustainable materials such as wood. This is part of a total approach to improve the CO₂ balance and concentrate on more environmentally friendly practices, while at the same time managing the challenges on the market that arise from factors such as price increases in the raw material sector.

This topic raises important questions about pricing and strategies that companies use to secure their profitability. Consumers have to be aware of the various methods that can be led to the increasing of their everyday products and actively inform themselves in order to be able to make a well -founded purchase decision. Further insights on this topic are at www.wa.de to be found.