Kiwis are bemoaning a recent price hike at Subway that has seen the cost of a six-inch sandwich rise to almost $10 - keep in mind, there are heels larger than that.
In a post to Reddit on Sunday, one Aucklander lamented that their six-inch Tuna Mayo sub had cost them $9, including a snap of the sad sandwich to illustrate.
It didn't take long for New Zealanders to start adding their two cents, prompting an uproar in the comments over Subway's pricing. It quickly transpired that the original poster wasn't alone in feeling "ripped off" by the fast food franchise.
"Same here. Before COVID, Subway was my go-to for lunch when I didn't have time to prepare at home," one shared.
"[But recently] I paid over $20 for a foot-long combo, so won't be going back. I thought it was a mistake.
"Doesn't even [cross] my mind for lunch anymore. They'll go under in no time at those prices."
Another recalled: "It came to $50 for three sandwiches and a couple of cookies last time I visited. I won't be going back."
A third added: "Yep, price gone up, tuna amount gone down - Subway's a total rip [off] these days."
The original poster later clarified that they didn't add any extra ingredients to the tuna sandwich that would have boosted the price.
"Lettuce, carrot and pepper. No extra charge there, just staples," they said.
Others took a trip down memory lane and wistfully remembered the days when the restaurant's Sub of the Day cost no more than a mere fiver.
"I remember when it used to be $3.90. Good times," said one, with another adding: "$3.90 Sub of the Day got me through."
"RIP 2012, when the foot-longs were $8," a third recalled nostalgically.
In a statement to Newshub, Subway's Australia and New Zealand Communications Manager, Rhys Reynolds, confirmed a Recommended Retail Pricing (RRP) review was recently undertaken and took effect on March 21, 2022.
"Many factors contributed to the RRP increase. Currently, food inflation has increased by an average of 10 percent in the first quarter of 2022," Reynolds said.
"There has been an increase in retail space cost by around 2 percent and labour cost has seen an approximate increase of 6 percent. Across the Quick Service Restaurant industry in New Zealand, there has been an increase of RRP between approximately 3 percent to 12 percent.
"Subway offers a fresh alternative to traditional fast food. Guests can choose from millions of combinations of premium-quality meats, cheeses, fresh vegetables and cookies and bread baked daily."
He urged Kiwis who are looking for a cheaper alternative to take advantage of Subway's Sub of the Day value offer, where a select six-inch sub is reduced to $5.50 every day of the week at participating restaurants.
Last month, the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures revealed that annual inflation hit 6.9 percent in the March quarter - the largest year-on-year increase in over three decades. It was also up from the 5.9 percent figure recorded in the December 2021 quarter, itself the highest since 1990.
The latest figure included the impact of Russia's invasion of neighbouring nation Ukraine in late February, as well as the outbreak of the COVID-19 Omicron variant and its ramifications for local and global supply chains.
When questioned about the sky-high inflation in April, the Government was quick to point to these international factors as causes, with Finance Minister Grant Robertson noting that "significant increases" in food and fuel prices have been observed worldwide.
"These are challenging times for the global economy," he said. "Inflation is at a 40-year-high of 8.5 percent in the United States and a 30-year high of 7 percent in the United Kingdom. Chinese ports have been shut for long periods, adding to supply chain disruptions.
"New Zealand cannot be immune to these challenges and the Government can’t control the price of food or petrol."
