Boots Price Vary Depending On Branch?

[newbie99]

I bought an eye drops for astonishing £15 from a large Boots store. I thought is very expensive but I can't judge on medicine. But as I was going home and realised there is another smaller Boots store on the opposite of the road. I went in and asked how much does the eye drops cost. They said its around £9. Then I I asked why the other store is charging more?

Then the staff at the smaller store says £15 is right. I wonder they have changed the story to protect their interest.

So anyone know if the price varies with different branches? If so, I will use smaller branch next times.

[sunny-dave]

I'm not surprised about the price variation - many large retailers practice 'opportunistic pricing' - where the price of an item varies from store to store according to the local competition.

Boots are (by and large) shockingly expensive for anything not on 'special offer' - I avoid them on principle because of their rip-off mentality.

[Jackdaw33]

Simple answer: don't use Boot's. They are the dearest on the High Street.

[hc4361]

Have you checked the price online?

[EDDIE51]

As said, Boots make a HUGE profit from filling prescriptions. A lot of people do not realise that the pharmacy that fills the prescription gets paid the entire full market price of the medication and a fee for supplying it.

[newbie99]

As a matter of interest I have been to another Boots store in a larger shopping centre.
Guess what??
The price is over £17 with no price label.
The staff looked at me and she used her calculator and working it out that how much profit margin they should be making.
So it's not a fixed price policy, it's worst than buying things as a tourist in the far East where they look at your face to decide how much to charge.

Avoid Boots in future.

[Jackdaw33]

Good advice, Newbie. I hold Boot's in the same contempt as I do Gregg's.

[goodgoalie]

Boots is one of the stores (like W H Smith's) that I'm surprised is still trading - absurdly expensive, and selling nothing that can't be found cheaper elsewhere

[Jackdaw33]

Another expensive pharmacy is Lloyd's.

[Milo2]

Our local small Tesco that is attached to a petrol station charges more for some things than the bigger branches.

[gingejbee]

^^^you'll find that smaller "convenience" branches of every supermarket charging a premium...it's the way they are able to operate. It's no secret, or surprise.

[hc4361]

If it's Hycosan, this was sold in 10ml size, not it's 7.5ml. Maybe the two Boots are selling different sizes.
It's £12.85 for 7.5ml from Amazon Prime

[gingejbee]

....hc....different sizes was my first thought. I really don't think the same size would be sold with such a price difference in branches of the same business.

[Mamyalynne]

Good point Hc - this page for example shows the range of both products and prices within one brand.

https://www.boots.com/brands/hycosan

Other brands could show similar differences.

[newbie99]

The product in question at Boots is Hylo-forte 7.5ml....

I just didn't like the idea of charging customer based on their face if they can afford it or not.
That's why when I go to a market, if they don't have price against the items they are selling I tend to buy from another stall.

[Mamyalynne]

If size and product is the same I totally agree with you.

[margarettom]

Boots is OK as long as you stick to their own brand items, which I find are fine. Also, occasional special offers. For branded items they can be expensive. I also get more points on their own brand stuff as an OAP.

[gingejbee]

"charging a customer based on their face".....really, in Boots?
Isn't every item in Boots bar-coded and scanned and a receipt given?
You haven't addressed the point raised earlier....the prices quoted were probably for two different sizes.

[Mamyalynne]

newbie wrote

// it's worst than buying things as a tourist in the far East where they look at your face to decide how much to charge. //

[gingejbee]

One more point....it's not up to Boots counter staff to use a calculator to calculate profit-margins on a product....the whole idea is ludicrous!

[newbie99]

When I asked how much the eye drops, she couldn't tell me straight away. She got her calculator from her counter then tap a few let's then said on the line of £17 something.
It's the 7.5ml product but different prices that's my conclusion.