Having a sweet tooth used to cost way less than it does today, with some of the country’s favourite retro sweets costing as much as 10 times more now than they did 30 years ago. Here’s a throwback to some of the most iconic sweets in the UK which, if you want them nowadays, you’ll have to shell out an average of 240.5% more than back in the day.
Cost of retro sweets then and now
| Retro sweet | Price increase in 30 years | Percentage jump | Fun Fact |
| Dib Dab | +£0 | 0% | Some things never change: Barratt’s Dip Dabs have remained a solid 20p since 1990, making them a certified bargain. |
| Fruit Salads | +5p per sweet | 400% | Fruit Salads used to cost 1p each in the days of the Woolworth’s pick ‘n’ mix. Nowadays, a bag of 250g (around 46 individual Fruit Salads) costs £2.35 — 5p per sweet. |
| Wham Bar | +10p | 100% | Here’s something to chew over: in the 90’s, a Wham Bar was just 10p. Since then, they’ve doubled in price to 20p. |
| Refreshers | +10p | 100% | Fruity and fizzy Refeshers have bubbled in price from 10p in the 90’s to a whopping 20p today. |
| Flumps | +10p | 100% | Way bigger and brighter (although more difficult to roast over a fire) than normal marshmallows, Flumps cost just 10p in the 90’s. Since then, they’ve doubled in price to 20p. |
| Taz | +15p | 150% | Before Freddo Caramel, there was Taz. Unleashed in 1994 and featuring the high-energy Looney Tunes character, a Taz bar used to cost 10p. Since transforming into Freddo Caramel, these chocolate treats have increased in price to 25p. |
| Freddos | +15p | 150% | As a child, was your first introduction to economics not through school, but through the increasing price of Freddos? To the outrage of many, Freddos have increased from their 90’s price of 10p all the way up to 25p (sometimes even more, depending where you buy them from)! |
| Candy Necklace | +18p | 120% | It was easy to look stylish affordably as a child, all while enjoying a yummy sugary snack. In the 90’s, candy necklaces cost just 15p. Nowadays, kids have to pay 33p to look as fashionable. |
| Bubbaloo | +25p | 500% | Did you used to have competitions with friends to see who could blow the biggest bubble? Chewy and gooey Bubbaloos were an entertaining childhood favourite, costing just 5p in the 90’s. Nowadays, the same competitive fun costs 30p — so make every bubble count! |
| Rainbow Drops | +25p | 100% | Launching in the 1930s, Rainbow Drops have been a childhood favourite across the generations. Since then, the price of these retro sweets has steadily increased to 25p in the 90’s and 50p in 2021. |
| '99 Flake Ice Cream | +25p | 51.5% | Contrary to popular belief, the ’99 Flake was not given its name because of it’s price. When it was launched in the 1920s, the ’99 Flake cost a mere penny! Only by the 90’s did the Flake live up to its name and cost 99p. But since then, this price has increased to £1.50 or higher. |
| Candy Sticks | +59p | 295% | In the 90’s, looking cool with a pack of Candy Sticks cost just 20p. Fast forward to 2021, the price of these retro sweets has nearly quadrupled at 79p! |
| Toffo | +£2.12 | 1060% | Toffo has by far the biggest price increase on this list. Back in the 90’s, these fruit flavour toffees cost 20p. However, Toffos were discontinued in 2008, pushing up the price for these rare nostalgic favourites to £2.32 (or even more!). |
Which retro sweets trigger the most 90s nostalgia for the UK?
We analysed online demand to see which British childhood sweets continue to be popular and what regions crave some 90s nostalgia. The most in-demand throwbacks are:
Flumps
Flumps are unanimously the most-loved retro sweet across the UK. Within this, they are most popular in Scotland, where demand is 22% higher than the rest of the UK. According to Google Trends, the UK cities that love Flumps the most are Manchester, Birmingham and London. In fact, Flumps are Londoners’ favourite treat from this list!
Refreshers
Refreshers are the second most popular nostalgic UK retro sweet. They are most in-demand in Wales, where interest in Refreshers is 30% higher than the rest of the UK. In terms of cities, Refreshers are most popular in Birmingham and London.
Rainbow Drops
Rainbow Drops continue to be a UK staple, and nowhere more so than in Scotland where is 35% higher than the rest of the UK.
Candy Sticks
More people in England (in particular London) and Scotland eat Candy Sticks than the rest of the UK, according to online demand.
Freddos
Freddos are in demand across the UK, but most notably in Wales. Demand for Freddos in Wales is an average 38% higher than anywhere else in the UK. However, the city that loves Freddos the most is London.
Make the best new memories while you’re at uni!
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