Hundreds of thousands of British shoppers are getting the H.U.M.P.S, a retail phenomena that is costing the nation millions of pounds a year, according to the Federation of Organic Milk Groups (FOMG). High Unwarranted and Mythical Premium Spending or H.U.M.P.S is the excessive or unnecessary purchase of premium priced products based purely on perceived or mythical attributes.

We all have certain items we like to spend a little more on, but the last few years have seen a huge increase in spending on premium priced goods, or ‘Humping' as it has become known, as shoppers search for satisfaction in the supermarket aisles, trading up to products we are led to believe might be a little better, a little healthier or simply a little more convenient. In fact, the market for premium grocery products shot up by more than £2.4 billion in 2007 to be worth an estimated £14.6 billion¹.

For those worried that they or a friend might be suffering the H.U.M.P.S, symptoms include:

• Paying out 50% more to pamper your posterior with little quilts or embossed puppies on your loo roll - A little luxury that costs the nation more than £105 million a year²
• Spending unnecessary pounds shunning the tap in favour of water sourced lovingly from a French volcano or Fijian island - The UK spent a whopping £1.6 billion on bottled water in 2006³
• Stumping up to 33 times more for a fancy five blade razor with a battery in the handle when traditional two blade does the same job- if everyone in the UK switched to this 'technology', annually we could spend up to an extra £8 billion⁴
• Forking out up to 300% more to save a few moments chopping, peeling or shredding - sales of pre-prepared and pre-packed fruit and veg have rocketed in recent years, the European market is now worth a massive £2.2 billion⁵

In the current climate of belt tightening and mounting money worries it's time to re-evaluate our shopping trolleys in a bid to stamp out the H.U.M.P.S in 2008 - let's cut down on humping, banish the myths and make the extra pennies count!

The FOMG is encouraging shoppers to be strong and to practise abstinence by choosing to spend those extra pennies on products that really will aid overall wellbeing. One example is organic milk - costing less than £1 a week for a family of four to make the switch⁶, organic milk is not only good for your health, it's also kind to the environment and the cows that produce it.

Roger Kerr, chairman of the FOMG, says "We all get the H.U.M.P.S to some degree and we're certainly not asking anyone to give up their little luxuries, just to take a moment to consider when it's really worth paying a premium. Switching to organic milk costs less than a lottery ticket and guarantees a positive result. No mythical benefits required!"

Look out for more ways organic milk can improve your wellbeing with the launch of www.love-om.com this spring.

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For interviews or further information contact:

Laura Allen / Emily Enright
Bray Leino PR
T: 0117 973 1173
F: 0117 906 4542
E: lallen@brayleino.co.uk