UK shoppers are being “misled” by supermarkets over “dodgy pricing tactics” used for multi-buy offers, according to consumer group Which?
A report published by the group today (24 May) revealed supermarkets are offering deals that lead shoppers to believe they are getting a better deal than they receive.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The consumer group analysed around 700,000 prices and suggested that, in some cases, discounts ran for much longer than the original price.
The report cited examples such as Asda doubling the price of a single Muller yoghurt from GBP0.30 to GBP0.61 at the same time as it offered ten for GBP4. It then put the single yoghurt back to GBP0.30.
Tesco was also highlighted for selling Beck’s beer for 190 days on discount and 70 days at the higher price. Ocado was cited for selling strawberries stating the price “was GBP4.38, now GBP2.19/GBP2.29/GBP2.25” across a 112-day period, although they were only at the highest price for 13 days beforehand.
“At a time when household budgets are squeezed and food bills are going up, many people are on the look out for a bargain. It’s unacceptable that shoppers are confused into thinking they’re getting a good deal when that might not be the case,” said Which? executive director Richard Lloyd. “Consumers shouldn’t have to worry about whether a special offer is really ‘special’, so we want the supermarkets to play fair and the Government to tighten up pricing guidelines so that people can shop with confidence.”
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataIn response to the survey, Tesco said: “At Tesco, we are committed to helping our customers keep the cost of their shopping down, including through price promotions. We change millions of price labels in store and online each week and we do sometimes make mistakes, for which we apologise. We make every effort to ensure that we act in accordance with Government guidelines on price promotions.”
A spokesperson for Ocado said: “Ocado has thousands of special offers and is committed to providing clear and accurate information about our offers. Regrettably on this one isolated occasion, this specific promotion did not explain our offer in the required detail. Measures have now been put in place to ensure this doesn’t happen again and we continue to heavily monitor our processes accordingly.”
Asda could not be reached for immediate comment.
