Backing away from total blind panic

"There is an element of consumers backing away from a total blind panic," says Ed Garner, director of research at TNS Worldpanel. "If you go back a year ago, the roof was falling in and it was awful.

As our contribution to the end-of-year economic stocktake, GOM is pleased to bring to the attention of the nation his eagerly anticipated annual Mince Pie report.

Mince pies December 2009

Sainsbury's Deep Filled
Price for 6: £1.00
Price each: 17p
Price 09/ 08: 72%
27% cheaper than last year but also of lower quality; cardboard-like case; filling a solidified paste with little evidence of fruit or nuts; reflects effective application of value engineering, ie cheaper and not so good

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference
Price for 6: £2.19
Price each: 37p
Price 09/ 08: 107%
7% more expensive than last year; tangy & fragrant filling; light pastry case

Sainsbury’s Connoisseur
Not in evidence at Fetter Lane outlet of Sainsbury's Metro

Konditor & Cook
Price for 6: £5.94
Price each: 99p
Price 09/ 08: 111%
Smallest of the pies we sampled; plump sultanas; falls apart in hand after 30 secs on highest microwave setting; convincing appearance of being hand-made; tart & aromatic filling; pastry to which a rolling-pin has been applied

Gregg’s dahn Leather Lane
Price for 6: £1.40
Price each: 30p
Price 09/ 08: 111% (single pie); 86% (pack of 6 pies)
11% more expensive than last year; but 14% cheaper than last year if you buy six; largest pies we sampled; flying saucer-shaped; after 40 secs of microwave high power, fissures appear in lid and bottom collapses; soft pastry rather than biscuit crumb; bitter & tangy filling, contains fruit; well-filled; moist mincemeat. A man dressed as Father Christmas in the store.

GOM concludes that Greggs' pricing power has become more prominent; and that the offerings of Konditor & Cook are not three times better than Gregg's. However we warn our readers against attempting the Gregg's so-called Cheese & Onion Slice.

GOM also reports that connoisseurs are no longer to be found, at least in the Fetter Lane outlet of Sainsbury's Metro.

These findings seem to run counter to reports from Waitrose of three-bird roasts (turkey, goose and duck) tumbling off the shelves at £120 a pop.

But I've always thought that partial (rather than total) blind panic was a more sustainable stance.