Food manufacturers and retailers may sell more if they price ranges of similar products the same, American research suggests.
A Northwestern University study in the US Journal of Consumer Research compared parity pricing and differential pricing, studying people purchasing desserts.
They found that parity pricing increased the likelihood that a person bought a dessert whereas contrasting prices hindered decision-making by making cost a crucial factor and introducing the idea of splurging or saving. Hard-pressed customers were then more likely to not buy.