Boards
Vending machine economics...
Circa 1995 a quid would buy you:
A can of Coke (or equivalent soft drink), a packet of crisps and a chocolate bar.
These days you'd get the can of drink, but would be hard pressed to get the crisps or the chocolate with the change available. You'd most likely have to resort to getting Space Raiders or a Chomp bar.
This is the single greatest measure of inflation, surely?
Additionally, the can of drink would have cost you 50p with the crisps and chocolate bar retailing at 25p each.
So, the can was seen to be of twice the value as the the crisps or the chocolate bar, however, the ratio has now become dangerously out of sync. Due to the fact that cans are now routinely priced at 65p in a vending machine crisps and chocolate bars should be 30 or 35p, surely?
However, frequently they're 40 or even 45p!
So, tonight's BURNING QUESTION, are carbonated drinks fundamentally counter-inflationary in nature or are we being shafted on crisps and chocolate?