You Get What You Pay For?

[youngmafbog]

http://news.sky.com/story/1213374/supermarket-price-tactics-under-fire-again

So Supermarkets have some tricks, what's new? In my opinion it is actually much easier to see what is going now as unit prices are given.

Yes, many times I have found it cheaper to buy 3 small packs of Persil capsules than one big one at ASDA. It annoys me because of the additional packaging which is a favourite gripe of mine, but I can at least see it easily on line.

If you look at the graph of satisfaction Waitrose comes out top. Fine, I could agree with that but they are considerably dearer so is it simply a case of you get what you are willing to pay for?

[LazyGun]

I must admit, I did think that my local supermarkets pricing on multi-buy offers was just an example of being poor at maths, rather than anything more sinister :)

Thinking about it though, I have noticed several occasions and several different product lines, where the individual unit price in a multi-buy pack is more expensive that were you to buy the individual units, which is a bit sneaky.

[zebo]

Why is it sneaky if the prices of the multi-pack and the individual items are displayed? As long as they don't claim that the multi-pack is better value, they're doing nothing wrong, people need to do a bit of mental exercise.

[jomifl]

LG, it seems to be a cynical ploy. Quite often this happens with special promotions on the end of the aisle, so it is difficult to see how it is an oversight of poor maths. Supermarkets don't do 'poor maths', they can rely on their customers to do that.

[jomifl]

Zebo, they imply that it is a good offer and it may well be but it isn't necessarily their best offer.

[anotheoldgit]

One has to have good eyesight also to be able to read the small print.

Because one has to read carefully which items are actually on offer, because a favourite trick of my supermarket is to put either a different weight item or a similar item to the ones actually on offer side by side.

Another one which I spotted were some dishwasher tablets that were advertised as half price at £5, when the original shelf label showed the original price to be £8.

[jomifl]

A classic trick is a banner saying '50% off' then in very small print '2nd purchase' which is in fact only 25% off.

[LazyGun]

@zebo It is sneaky, zebo, because over the years, we have been conditioned into thinking that by buying multipacks. or larger packaging, we are effectively getting economies of scale, and saving money by buying in bulk. Certainly that was my understanding.

Only if you wish to peruse the individual labels and check unit price can you be certain that is the case now, it seems. That appears a slightly underhand pricing tactic, to me.

[boxtops]

I've been reading unit prices for some time now - the "bigger is cheaper" concept is definitely no longer the case.

[emmie]

They are shysters, the lot of them, i see labels which say Only 5 pounds, as if a fiver is nothing, or 10 percent more for same price, baloney. I don't like Waitrose at any rate, it's always been expensive, essential range is ok, but i get better service in Sainsburys

[hc4361]

That's one thing I like about Aldi - no confusing offers, just the price it is now.

[BlueToffee]

Whatever item I am about to put in my trolly, if there is more than one pack size, I ALWAYS look at the small print on the price ticket where it gives price per kilo, per litre etc., etc.

For example, Stella Artois can vary by as much as £1.50 a litre depending on which pack you purchase.

[EcclesCake]

For what I buy there I do not find Waitrose any more expensive than other supermarkets. Having said that my meat is from a butcher, majority of veg form an organic veg box company and most household stuff is from CostCo.

I always compare offers to make sure I'm getting the best deal.

[emmie]

i couldn't afford to buy meat in waitrose, and they blotted their copy book by selling a kilo of pasta for a quid more than two 500grams, i queried it and was told, it's what the consumers want.

[EcclesCake]

I also enjoy the shopping experience in Waitrose. Polite well trained staff, little clutter and rarely any feral kids running around for me to take a pot shot at their head with my basket :-(

[emmie]

totally different experience to yours, surly staff, some of them clueless.