I always buy Walkers Crinkles and normally just check the price checking offers etc.

This week chucked a pack in as normal with out looking thinking they were the normal price about £1.69

But when I got home found there were now only 5 packs inside instead of 6!

Still had last weeks pack I had to get it out to check.

Not sure if I prefer them to just put up the price instead of sneaky tactics like this.

Bloody cheek! I hope they're not all going to start doing this, it's not as if there's a potato shortage.

Do you not find them too thin and lightweight?

McCoys any day for me.

Depends on the flavours you like though.
Brands aren't always the best but I haven't found any other crisps, branded or supermarket own, that are as good as Walkers for standard crisps and in the flavours Pickled Onion, Worcestershire Sauce and Prawn Cocktail.

Seabooks used to do those flavours but they're hard to get and they changed flavour and texture a few years back and are no where near as good as they used to be.

There is a potato shortage coming... don't you remember the great floods we had during the winter?

Most British potato farmers have seen their crops rot underwater

I hate this sort of thing.

When Seabrooks reduced their multipack bags from 31.5g to 25g while keeping the same price I complained, saying I would rather pay more and keep the larger bags but was told that 'research' shows consumers prefer less product for the same price rather than a price rise. It's still a price rise though! Sneaky and annoying.

The price of potatoes will not be major cost factor in producing these, or any other similar product.

Must agree, a friend told me Aldi did a copy of McCoys that were nice about two years ago but they didnt do cheese & onion which is what I have. I asked the missus to see if they did them yet when she went the other day but she came back of a 6 pack which judging by the packaging is supposed to be a copy of Walkers crinkles. Tried them, not just as good as McCoys but way better than Walkers - imho ofc

Well actually potato prices have increased a lot over the last year.

You don't think the cost of the major ingredient increasing by 10% in the last year has any effect?

I do not buy the crinkle crisps myself but i noticed the regular Walkers changed to 5 packs a few weeks back. I buy the Walkers regular meat selection packs at the minute, 26 packets £2.99. I see McCoys crinkle crisps on special offer everywhere but i am not too keen on them. There is a massive difference in the price of crisps in the shops around here, it is well worth shopping around.

Barely any, packaging & transport costs must be much higher.

Wholesale price of potatoes around 10p per kilo, so for a 25g bag the cost of the actual potatoes will be in the region of 0.25p.