Hong Kong’s Consumer Council has found the weight or volume of an overwhelming majority of surveyed supermarket products have been cut by as much as 30 per cent, while 16 items have increased in cost by up to 26.2 per cent from recommended pricing.
The consumer watchdog shared the results of its research on Tuesday, urging retailers to be more transparent by disclosing any changes in size on packaging or the unit prices of items.
“The council is of the view that consumers are the ultimate stakeholders affected and the party to pay, and agents have the responsibility to clearly state volume or weight changes of goods on the packaging or at the point of sale,” said Victor Lam Hoi-cheung, chairman of the council’s publicity and community relations committee.
He said the watchdog’s efforts aimed to promote product information transparency and protect consumers.
The watchdog selected 62 products from its “Online Price Watch” tool with volume or weight changes between January 2021 and July 2024, covering food items, daily necessities and pet food.
Among the surveyed products, 58 had their contents downsized by 1.3 per cent to 30 per cent, with 25 items undergoing a reduction by at least 10 per cent.