Buying products in a large format, often called “family”, we often think that it is cheaper, and it should be. But in reality, when we look at the price per kilo, the family size is not always more economical than the unit price, on the contrary! We compared the proof on the shelves with these 5 well-known products.
With inflation and rising prices, we all want to save money! To achieve this, you have to be ingenious, observe promotions, take the time to accumulate discount coupons, and sometimes even shop in different supermarkets according to promotions. We may also be tempted, particularly when we have children or a large family, to indulge in products sold in large packages: family format. We would then tend to think, by buying in bulk, that the prices will be more advantageous, but this is not always the case, quite the contrary.
Family size products: when the price per kilo increases when it should go down!
By taking a closer look at store shelves, we discovered that the weight per kilo is sometimes different depending on whether the product is sold individually or in batches. We could logically think that it is lower in the second case… This, it seems, is the whole point of the family format: to save money. But in reality, we pinned 5 everyday products sold at Leclerc, Hyper U and Monoprix whose price per kilo increases in family format.
In Leclerc stores
The 205g Nestlé dark pastry chocolate bar is sold for 1.95 euros each, or 9.51 euros per kilo. The set of two tablets is sold for 3.95 euros, or 9.63 euros per kilo. We think we’ll pay less by buying two tablets, but the cost of one tablet is actually more expensive in a set of two!
At Hyper U
The 200g Sainte-Maure Savoine goat log costs 2.19 euros, or 10.95 euros per kilo. The Sainte-Maure Savoine goat log in a 400g family size costs 4.50 euros, or 11.25 euros per kilo. Concretely, if we bought two cheeses individually rather than a pack of two, it would cost 4.38 euros instead of 4.50 for the same products.
The 85g pack of LAY’S 3D’S BUGLES natural flavor aperitif biscuits costs 0.86 euros, or 10.12 euros per kilo. The family size of the same product (150g) costs 1.69 euros, or 11.27 euros per kilo.
In Monoprix stores
The box of 30 pieces of Ferrero Rocher (375g) costs 8.55 euros, or 22.80 euros per kilo. On the other hand, the box of 42 pieces (525g) costs 15.85 euros, or 30.19 euros per kilo. The difference in price per kilo here is more than 7 euros which is almost the price of a box of 30 pieces!
Do you like the spread to spread on your toast in the morning or for a snack? Please note that the 825g pot of Nutella costs 5.39 euros, or 6.53 euros per kilo. We might therefore expect that the one kilo family pot would cost 6.53 euros, but it actually costs 7.45 euros!
In general, always remember to check the prices per kilo and compare between the different formats. The family format is often designed to buy more and less expensively, but it really depends on the products and the brands.