Woman shows how many Quality Street tins you need to fill retro 80s tub

Brits are well-acquainted with the Christmas tradition of opening a box of chocolates, but it’s no secret our favourite tins have been shrinking over the years.

The phenomenon, known as “shrinkflation”, has seen our beloved chocolate tubs decrease in size without any reduction in price. A TikTok user recently highlighted just how drastic this change has been.

In her viral video, @welshvalleyslass shows a woman comparing an 80s “retro” Quality Street tin to today’s versions, and the difference is shocking. The old-school tin is enormous – something you’d struggle to find on shelves today, but there’s more to the story than just size.

The clip reveals it would take four of today’s tubs to match the volume of the “retro” one, showing just how much times have changed. Alongside the clip, she wrote: “A retro tin cost £7 in the 80s, and one tin would last until Christmas was over. The tins were eco-friendly too. They were used for decades after.”

The results of the experiment have left people astounded, revealing the significant reduction in Quality Street tin sizes over the years. Sometimes things really do change with time.

One person expressed a desire to purchase one of the old tins, with the intention of filling it up with chocolates. Currently, a 600g tub of Quality Street can be bought for approximately £6 in some supermarkets, although prices may vary.

In contrast, decades ago, the tins were reported to contain up to 2.5kg of chocolates for the festive season. Nostalgic adverts from the late 1970s and 1980s (still viewable online) showcased 2.5kg tins of Quality Street for a mere £4.99.

Yet, it’s crucial to note that back in 1979, a fiver had the buying power of about £24 in today’s currency. Fast forward to the present, Tesco Clubcard holders have the chance to snap up a 600g box of Quality Street at Tesco for just £3.95.

To give you an idea of the value, a “retro” tin is roughly 4.16 times the size of the 600g offering. By doing the maths, and multiplying Tesco’s price by 4.16, we arrive at a figure of £16.46 for the equivalent weight of the vintage tin.

In essence, this means modern-day sweet-toothed shoppers are pocketing a saving of nearly £8 per two and a half kilos of Quality Street indulged during the festive period.

Nestle has been contacted to comment on the changing sizes of Quality Street tins.