Holidaymakers being fleeced by shops as travel toiletries are sold at FIVE TIMES the equivalent price of regular products

A NEW investigation into the extortionate prices charged for travel miniatures show it really does pay to be prepared.

According to new research, lazy travellers are paying a fortune when they buy mini shampoo, toothpaste and moisturisers instead of decanting from larger bottles.

Anyone who wants to bring toiletries in their hand luggage has to abide by strict rules that limit liquids to just 100ml per container, so many stores now sell shrunken versions of popular items.

But according to the they are often very overpriced, like a mini bottle of Nivea Black & White Deodorant in Boots that costs £2.10 for 50ml, compared to the £2 they charge for a 250ml bottle.

That’s a mark-up of more than 500 percent.

In Superdrug, a 50ml bottle of Original Source mint shower gel costs £1.19, compared to a 250ml bottle for £1.10, and a 400ml bottle of Herbal Essences Hydration shampoo costs £1.98 compared to £1.50 for a 75ml bottle.

In fact, the shops are even making a huge mark-up on larger versions that are already under the 100ml.

For example, in Wilko customers can buy a 25ml tube of Colgate MaxFresh Cooling toothpaste for £1.25, while a 75ml tube of Colgate Cool Stripe, which would also get though security, costs 95p.

James Walker, of consumer website Resolver told the newspaper: “Cash-strapped consumers are already cynical about the ways some brands try to squeeze more money out of them.

“But I doubt that people will realise just how much extra money they will pay for hand luggage- friendly products.”

A spokesperson for Boots told Sun Online: “Boots UK aims to provide a great choice of products in different styles, sizes and formats and our product offering is designed to offer convenience and flexibility to our customers.

“Many people prefer the option of purchasing miniatures, especially travel miniatures as they save space and weight in luggage, and we also sell empty, reusable miniature bottles should our customers prefer to decant their own products.

“We work closely with our suppliers to ensure we minimise the costs of manufacturing and this is reflected in the price of the products we sell.

“To provide our customers with even further value, we offer a range of offers and promotions including 3 for 2 on our travel miniatures.”

A spokesperson for Wilko told Sun Online: “Manufacturing costs come down when production takes place in high volume for consistently high demand.

“This means, like most retailers, we can offer such high-demand items more cheaply.

“We do stock smaller ‘travel miniatures’ because they offer convenience, comply with security regulations and are an important part of the choice our customers want but, by their nature, they have much less frequent and less continuous demand.”