I noticed the jelly babies first, they started off as small and colourful (similar to Haribo ones) then changed to large ones with a white powder that taste of nothing!
Then the cherry cola bottles went from large fizzy cola flavoured ones to small ones that taste of nothing but sugar!
I've just been told tonight by a customer that the fizzy strawberry pencils which changed the other month are now tasteless, so I've come home and opened an old one and a new one and guess what?.... The old ones taste of strawberry and cream and the new ones just taste of cheap nothingness!
I know there can be issues with suppliers, and I know that when their prices go up you have to consider other brands. But i'm starting to think that if this is going to be permanent then I might have to self pack Haribo/tuckshop stuff (or pay someone else to do it for me), as i'm not going to sell stuff that the customers don't want to eat!!
I know a few of you guys are always going on about margins, but I would rather pay an extra pound or two a box for a better product. £1 a box works out at only 1p per tub more, but if one customer (like the guy that shouted across the pub at me tonight) stops buying from my machine that's a 30 - 50p lost profit on every one he doesn't buy!!
