Price of Durex condoms rise as randy blokes are hit hard amid cost of living crisis
HARD-up fellas face another blow — thanks to a stiff rise in the prices of Durex condoms.
The cost of the contraceptives has ballooned by up to 40 per cent.
Meanwhile, Durex owner Reckitt has unveiled the supersize package it will be paying its new chief executive Kris Licht.
He will trouser a £1.1million salary, firmed up by a potential £4million bonus — plus a large lump sum for moving from the US, where he is head of the £46billion company’s health division.
It comes as the cost of Durex’s 12-pack of thin feel extra lubricated condoms has risen by 40 per cent from £9.99 to £13.99 in less than a year at Boots and Superdrug.
Its non-latex Durex Naturals condoms are up ten per cent from £14.99 for a dozen to £16.59 while its “extended pleasure” range saw a similar increase from £9.99 to £10.99.
Yet analyst Dan Neidle, of Tax Policy Associates, said that Reckitt was bucking the trend, as the price of condoms in general was down by 1.12 per cent.
Reckitt has ratcheted up prices of all its products — including headache tablets Nurofen and cleaning spray Cillit Bang — by 12.6 per cent.
It blames pressures from rising energy, shipping and ingredient costs.
A spokeswoman insisted its condoms were medical devices and made in just two, highly regulated factories in Thailand.
As a result transport costs were higher than with some of its other products.
Inflation figures this week showed families were having to cope with goods and services costing 10.1 per cent more than a year ago.
Economists have predicted that the falling cost of wholesale gas — seen as the biggest driver of inflation — plus cheaper shipping containers and packaging should start to slow the rate of price increases.
However, there is typically a six-month lag between the price companies pay their suppliers and any drop in prices on shop shelves.