A MUM has hit out at the cost of a small bag of pick and mix sweets at Christmas Markets.
Emma Gill took her son on a trip the Manchester Christmas Markets and allowed him to pick some treats out from a Kingdom of Sweets stall.
While she admitted although he was “let loose” at the stall, she still kept a watchful eye on him and made sure he didn’t “go mad” and only picked a reasonable amount.
And Emma wrote in the Manchester Evening News she had expected it cost “around a fiver, maybe a little more”… shocked when she was told it would cost £12.56.
Emma added that while there are signs up telling customers the cost is £2.99 per 100g she said it was “hard to work out the weight of your goodies until they actually hit the scales.”
She took photos of the contents, describing it as a “rather pitiful haul we got for the money”.
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Emma said: “Don't get me wrong, my kids will eat it. All that's left is me struggling to stomach the bill.”
The mum said that while she usually tried to keep costs down by taking their own treats along to places like the cinema, it was nice to allow her son something a bit special for the festive season.
She added: “The chance for a child, or anyone for that matter, to choose their favourites from an abundance of brightly coloured sweets is a much more enjoyable experience than picking up a bargain bag from the supermarkets or the likes of B&M.”
Councillor Pat Karney, lead spokesperson on Christmas for Manchester City Council, said: "We don't tell traders how much to charge for their products on the Christmas Markets as we don't know the costs involved at any time to produce them, but we will check out any complaints that are brought to us.
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"Stallholders are however obviously subject to the same demands as other retailers in that if what they're selling is too expensive, customers won't buy their products."
He stressed the council was taking steps to help families this year, with a number of free events, including a Christmas Parade which takes place this Sunday.
Cllr Karney said: "Of course we're very conscious of the cost of living crisis and how it is affecting everyone at the moment.
"We know that not everyone has the cash to splash out on a hot chocolate or gluhwein, which is why our Christmas offer isn't just about the markets this year.
"The city centre is at its sparkling best at the moment with our famous big Santa in St Peter's Square and a fabulous Christmas lights trail that includes walk-through baubles and stars, Christmas trees, and a twinkling Manchester bee – all of which are free to discover and enjoy.
"We've also got a fantastic programme of free fun for families each weekend between now and Christmas with a series of magical Festive Sundays funded in partnership with city centre business partners, and, in a festive first for the city, the first ever Manchester Christmas Parade which is coming up this weekend on Sunday, December 11."
A Kingdom of Sweets spokesperson said: "Our prices are clearly displayed per 100g and are comparable with other premium location retailers. Staff are trained to allow customers to leave the purchase if their selection is too heavy or take some out to bring the price down. Our own costs have risen by between 25 and 40 per cent in the last year, but we have not increased prices."
Earlier this month, a TikTok user slammed having to pay out £13 for two hot chocolates, also from the Manchester Christmas Market.
Becka Blackburn said "My bank account cried,” in her social media post.
The Manchester Christmas Markets opened in early November and will run until December 22.
However, since opening their gates the market has come under scrutiny from raging punters.
One market goer said it was too expensive after a pint and a hotdog cost £20.
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Another outraged Brit labelled the market as not Christmassy enough.
But it is not the only market being slammed, Newcastle's version came under fire after a meal was found to be more expensive than a flight to Marbella, Spain.
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