The humble baked bean is back in fashion as families return to canned food in a bid to beat the credit crisis.
Sales of baked beans have increased by 12 per cent over the last year, surpassing annual sales of £300 million for the first time.
As food inflation in Britain has risen higher than almost anywhere else in the developing world, consumers are cutting back on their grocery bills.
Sales of post-war, ration book era food are booming, according to statistics, and families are stocking up on canned goods.
In the 52 weeks to the end of August baked bean sales reached £300.4 million, compared with just £250.2 million three years ago, according to the market research company IRI.
The figures follow evidence from supermarkets, that shoppers are starting to buy cheaper cuts of meat, such as chicken thighs rather than breast meat and braising steaks rather than sirloin or fillet.
Sheraz Dar, head of marketing for Branston Baked Beans, which released the IRI data, said: "The credit crunch is undoubtedly having some effect. Baked beans provide a very cheap source of fibre and protein so it's not surprising people are increasingly turning to baked beans for nutrition."
Asda says that sales of its budget range of Smart Price baked beans, which retail for just 20p for a 420g tin, have soared by more than 50 per cent over the last year.
With £300 million of beans sold over the last year, this could buy each household in Britain more than 22lbs (10 kilos) – or 23 large cans – worth of high-quality baked beans. Not quite enough to stock up an underground bunker, but plenty to fuel a family if the economy plumbs new ration-book era depths.
Source: Telegraph
Has the crisis altered your shopping in any way? Have you stopped buying things because they have got too expensive? Do you still treat yourself now and again to something despite its expense?
This advert for beans is from 1986 but has the same jingle as today: "beanz meanz heinz".
Do you have a favourite ad, past or present?
2 comments:
I am trying to reduce my fixed monthly expenses, for example taking more buses, using the underground and leaving taxi rides only for indispensable occasions. I am also beeing more conscious on my bills, revising each figure as I do not want to pay for anything that I do not need or use! Nowadays I am "trying" to change my mobile contract, although speaking with Telefonica is not an easy task! I will let you know what finally happens with my mobile contract...
Cristina
I am going one step further than you. Instead of taking the underground, I use my own two feet. As well as saving a few cents, I can get a bit of exercise.
"I am also BEING MORE CONSCIOUS OF my bills, CHECKING each figure..."
"revise" in English is what you should do before an exam or if you "revise up" or "revise down" something you change it in some way:
eg The government had to revise down their estimates to take into accouny the uncertain economic climate.
The way you have used "nowadays" here sounds a bit strange. We usually use it to compare a present habot to a past one. I'd simply say that you are " trying to change your mobile contract now".
As hard as I try, I can't seem to lower my phone bill that much. I'd be interested to know how you get on with Telefonica. That is if you manage to get through to them. LOL
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