We’ve written here before about Tesco’s sneaky price rises and dodgy special deals. According to one eagle-eyed reader of Conor Pope’s Pricewatch column in today’s Irish Times, they’re still at it:
“What your readers should be aware of is that these cuts amount to nothing more than a huge marketing gimmick,” he says before giving a few examples. “A 500ml bottle of Listerine Coolmint mouthwash cost €5.19 late last year. In January the price climbed to €6.90, and Tesco recently announced ‘long-term price cut’ is €5.19. A 150ml Dove deodorant spray cost €3.39 in 2008, before climbing to €3.66 and then falling back to €3.39. A 500ml bottle of Sanex shower gel cost €4.40 late last year and €4.75 in the first part of this year before falling back in price as part of Tesco’s price cuts to €4.55. A 250ml bottle of Dove shower gel was €2.99 in late 2008, €3.29 earlier this year and €3.10 now.
Tesco deny that they increase prices with a view to taking them down for promotional purposes. They claim the rises were due to “a combination of higher supplier prices and costs.”
Why don’t Tesco release precise details of how they were forced to raise these prices? Which suppliers rose their prices? What were these extra costs? If they’re telling the truth, they’d surely be glad to allay people’s suspicions.
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