An angry mum has hit out at the prices of a Christmas market sweet stall - branding the £2.99 per 100g rate for treats an "utter disgrace".
Emma Gill took her son to a Kingdom of Sweets stall at the Manchester Christmas Markets as a festive treat - but was "shocked" when a bag of sweeties she expected to cost £5 came out at more than twice that. Writing for the Manchester Evening News, Emma said she had been taken aback by the sky-high prices, particularly at a time when money is tight.
She wrote: "Nobody goes to a pick and mix stall expecting it to be cheap. I've been a parent for 14 years now so I'm only too aware of the places I'm likely to be fleeced.
"While generally we'll try to cut costs by taking our own treats along to places like the cinema, for example, there are some times when it's just nice for the kids to have a treat isn't it? A trip to Manchester Christmas Markets being one of them.
"The chance for a child, or anyone for that matter, to choose their favourites from an abundance of brightly coloured sweets is a much more enjoyable experience than picking up a bargain bag from the supermarkets or the likes of B&M. The phrase 'like a kid in a sweet shop' exists for a reason.
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"With that in mind I let my son loose at the Kingdom of Sweets stall, which is inside the Cathedral Gardens zone of the festive markets, next to the Skate Manchester ice rink. I say 'let loose', but he was under my watchful eye and given the usual 'no, that's too many' reminders as he attempted to pile his scoop high.
"In short, I made sure he didn't 'go mad' and picked up a reasonable amount, expecting it to come to around a fiver, maybe a little more. So you can imagine how shocked I was when given the total - £12.56!
"There are signs up informing customers it's £2.99 per 100g, but it's hard to work out the weight of your goodies until they actually hit the scales. While the company says it's 'comparable with other premium location retailers', the cost does seem particularly excessive."
Emma took a photo of the haul to put the prices into perspective: around two dozen gummies, cola bottles, jelly snakes and some marshmallow tubes.
She added: "Don't get me wrong, my kids will eat it. All that's left is me struggling to stomach the bill."
Councillor Pat Karney, lead spokesperson on Christmas for Manchester City Council, told the Manchester Evening News: "We don't tell traders how much to charge for their products on the Christmas Markets as we don't know the costs involved at any time to produce them, but we will check out any complaints that are brought to us.
"Stallholders are however obviously subject to the same demands as other retailers in that if what they're selling is too expensive, customers won't buy their products. Of course we're very conscious of the cost-of-living crisis and how it is affecting everyone at the moment.
"We know that not everyone has the cash to splash out on a hot chocolate or gluhwein, which is why our Christmas offer isn't just about the markets this year."
A Kingdom of Sweets spokesperson said:" Our prices are clearly displayed per 100g and are comparable with other premium location retailers. Staff are trained to allow customers to leave the purchase if their selection is too heavy or take some out to bring the price down.
"Our own costs have risen by between 25 and 40 per cent in the last year, but we have not increased prices."
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