Are “special offers” and bargains in supermarkets all a bit of a con? The Independent (London) newspaper reports that the British Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) recently completed a three month investigation into UK retailers .
Why am I completely unsurprised by their findings?
- Waitrose blueberries were on “half-price” for six weeks after two weeks at the “higher price”. Goods should be sold at the higher price for at least 28 days, government guidelines say.
- Marks & Spencer had “half-price” cherries at £2.49 when the higher price was only 50p more;
- Sainsbury’s sold Jacob’s Creek chardonnay for £4.79 for months after offering its higher price of £6.79 for just two weeks.
When something is marked as “half-price” in a supermarket, I wonder how long it has been at full price for previously. Was that “half-price” chicken bumped up in price a few weeks previously, left there for a few days, and then reduced?
Do you think Irish supermarkets are up to similar tricks as in the UK? If you have any concrete examples, let us know and we’ll post the information here.
Wednesday 7 January, 2009 at 12:32 am
Marks and Spencers here are constantly at it – Conor Pope has covered this and only yesterday I was thinking I needed to start keeping a price book on the chicken and fruit half price offers etc.
Wednesday 6 January, 2010 at 11:37 am
Surely the important point is not whether the product is actually half price, nor whether it’s been sold at the higher price for two weeks or two years. The important point is whether you think the item you’re buying is good value.
If those Waitrose blueberries had been sold at the higher price for two months prior (rather than two weeks) would that make it a better offer?
What you really need to look at is whether the current price is a good price. Compare the weight price (£ per 100g) with other identical products. Compare the price with what you’ve paid previously (admittedly easier said than done).
I understand your point is about the advertising, but it pays to look at aspects of pricing other than the big red signs. Consumer education is important (and lacking).
Another point is that all three brands you mention – Waitrose, M&S and Sainsbury’s – are all respectable and socially responsible companies. It’s very unlikely that these three particular supermarkets are up to tricks. They are the top tier supermarkets in the UK and their reputations stand a lot to lose if they do this on purpose. It’s much more likely that the problems pointed out were as a result of administration problems or other internal miscommunications or just plain human error (or stupidity).
As for brands like Tesco, Asda, Lidl… who knows…
Wednesday 6 January, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Does it have to be food related?
Wednesday 6 January, 2010 at 12:56 pm
No, go for it: spill!
Wednesday 6 January, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Brown Thomas in Cork are selling Nine West shoe in the sale. They have not stocked Nine West for months. Decor8 on North Main Street are having a “sale”. Wallpaper I bought there in October is still the same price, having been “reduced” from a false price. The sale there has been going on for 4 months now. I have complained to the consumer association only to be told that there is nothing they can do about it and I should have a word with the shop. I had already done that was not happy with their response and assumed that by complaining to the consumer agency, I had passed it on to the Big Boys. Wrong!