INCREASED PRICES FOR COCOA AND CHOCOLATE

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 July 1947, Page 3

INCREASED PRICES FOR COCOA AND CHOCOLATE

Increases in the retail prices of chocolate and cocoa are announced in a price order in the latest issue of the Gazette. The new prices will come into force on Monday.

Applications for higher prices were made to the Price Tribunal by manufacturers because of the withdrawal of the subsidy on sugar and because of increases in the cost of cocoa beans.

The prices of bars of chocolate have been increased from 3Ad to 4d, from 7d to Bd, and from Is Id to Is 3d. Filled bars of all varieties have been increased in price from 8d to 9d. Assorted loose chocolates of various brands and varieties now cost from 2d an ounce to 4d an ounce-. Half-pound 'boxes of chocolates will cost from 2s 2d to 2s 3d for the named brands, the previous prices for some of these brands being from Is IOAd. Any other variety of chocolates, or chocolate confections, in half-pound boxes, will cost Is 3d. Half-pound mixtures of chocolates and other sweets will cost Is 3d. Slabs of plain, milk, fruit, or nut chocolate, exceeding one pound in weight, will cost 3s 6d a pound, and one pound slabs 4s. Broken lots will cost 3d an ounce.

The price of the three main brands of cocoa on the market is increased from Is 5d to Is 7d for half-pound containers, and from 2s 9d to 3s Id for one pound containers. The price of cocoa in quarter-pound containers has been fixed at lOd, but it has not been packed in this size for some years. Prices for other varieties of cocoa have been fixed at Bd, Is 3|d, and 2s 6d, but at present they are not available. Bulk cocoa has increased in price from Is 5d to Is 10-ld a pound. These prices are increased by Ad in areas where there is no free delivery to retailers.