SINGAPORE: A man took to social media to share his disbelief at how high the price of a 500ml green tea has become over the years. He shared, “Green tea bottle now at $1.60….Walao, it was $1 just 2-3 years back. Now a 60% increase? My salary never even increased 60% leh.”
Some Singaporeans online were also shocked by the increase, while others were not as surprised, possibly because of price increase reports soaring.
One pointed out, “This was the price of a 2L bottle back then.” Another jokingly added, “Why need nutri-grade when the price is high enough to prevent buying.”
Another explained why the price might be high, saying, “This one is really paying for the convenience of a small bottle. Value play has always been the 1.5L version.”
The conversation quickly turned to potential alternatives and solutions.
One commenter suggested, “Might as well get the 1.5 litre bigger bottle with these kinds of pricing, maybe more worth, or that one also increase?” Another advised, “Buy some real tea leaves and drink the real thing. $1.60 for sugar water … No thanks.”
One more pointed out that brewing your own tea at home can be more economical. “Well, a pack of loose leaf 250g green tea is like $4; you can make 60 bottles with that easy (4g / 500ml),” she said.
However, another suggested that the man might be referring to a promotion, as the price seems lower than what he recalls from previous years. “What store is this? Supermarket or minimart? I don’t recall the price being that ‘cheap’ 2 to 3 years back tho. Unless 7-11 $1 drink promo.”
One commenter asked why people were surprised. “You think only green tea increased in price? Are your vegetables the same price as 2020?” he said.
The man who posted pointed out, “A simple teh peng in 2022 was $1.20, and in 2024 it’s $1.70, which is a 41% increase, FYI.”
One netizen added that nowadays, you really have no choice but to choose between “price inflation or quantity shrinkflation.” Another netizen recalled, “That’s what I’m noticing nowadays too. Remember the days where $1.60 gets you a 1.5L bottle.” /TISG