I just watched a recorded Panorama programme about misleading labelling by supermarkets to fool us customers, writing down confusing labels like; 1 banana pack ?1 and 2 for ?2.00, implying 2 are cheaper. They play psychological games with us, because our brain is conditioned to think that if 1 pack is a certain price, buying 2 will automatically be cheaper, making people buy 2 without any gain. I didn't realise how common this practice is. Last month, I actually found this on a pack of some berries (I think) and went to the consumer desk and asked them why it said 1 pack for a ? 1.50 and buy 2 for ?3.00, as if buying 2 is cheaper. They implied that it was a one off mistake, which it obviously it is not.

In some cases, smaller packs actually being cheaper, when the larger pack advertises "bigger, better value pack".

It also surprised me to know that supermarkets actually briefly increase the prices of things and then sell them reduced under their "price slashed/reduced/roll over prices" schemes, when they are actually as or more expensive than before. What has happened to following the law?

They know that no one has the time to calculate each and every label and explout us all.

What do you think?

I saw the programme last night and its nothing I wasn't aware of due to my mother having done a home shopping monitor survey for years. She was always pointing things like this out !

Steve

You've got to laugh, but I have noticed that myself when out shopping. It's no cheaper to buy two than it is to buy one.

My mum bought a bag of king prawns from FIASCO last week because they were half price (?2.50 as oppose to ?5.00). She thought it was a bargain, so when she went again she intended to buy another pack, and even though they were still marked as being half price, they had gone up to ?3.50 instead.

When you sit in the car park and watch people going in and out of the store, most of them look like zombies anyway, so I can see just how easy it is to pull it off!! I always check the receipt before leaving the store, because sometimes when things are marked down as being cheaper you often pay the full price and don't realise until you get home.

Sid

It's no cheaper to buy two than it is to buy one

What I meant was you don't save anything when you buy two packs of something. It's been a long day...

the thing is, what happens when you pick up 2 items at say ?2 each but there is an offer that says 2 for ?5... which price do you pay ?

Steve

I find that half price sale deceptive, it is rarely ever half price. But if you see between the lines it is "Up to" half price sale.

"the thing is, what happens when you pick up 2 items at say ?2 each but there is an offer that says 2 for ?5... which price do you pay ?

It would be so funny, if it wasn't so dishonest!

Tesco's are the worse supermarket for me, I sometimes shop in a massive Tesco but they only stock one type of Coconut milk - light and they charge 1.50 per can!!!!

However Morrisons do about 4 different types of coconut milk and they charge from 50p upwards.

And then my local corner shop sells the same light can of coconut milk Tesco sells for 60p. Obviously I will be clearing my local shop of their coconut milk from now on.

I read an article to similiar effect about the pricing at supermarkets and I just be keeping a very close eye on my shopping from now on.

If you shop around for too many things, it does require a lot of time and effort. For someone like me, who can't remember prices of anything (!(), I have been relying on supermarkets to be cheaper than corner shops, because they place such bulk orders with the suppliers. Apparently I am wrong!

here is another thing to consider when comparing supermarkets and local corner shops....

our local corner shop sells a well known brand of bread cheaper than the exact same bread in the supermarket (its about 10-20p cheaper usually)... That may not be a suprise but what we do find is the local shops bread is MUCH fresher than the supermarkets !

The bakery is only a few miles away and I'll bet that it sends its bread to some central warehouse that then re-distributes to each supermarket. This must add at least 24 hours to the age of the bread (plus a lot of handling and standing about on pallets in warehouses etc)...

The bread in the local shop comes daily straight from the bakery on one of their (The bakery) own wagons....

(if we buy the bread from the supermarket its like bread we've had about 2 or 3 days from the local shop)

Steve

The big four supermarkets have been fooling us for years. The problem is they are forcing local independent stores to close, the end result will be they can then charge what they want, no competition. I try and use my local farm shop butcher for all my meat, locally sourced and the best quality. I got fed up with so called cheap meat from the supermarket, only to get it home and find after cooking it was rubbish. I also use a local baker and greengrocer, better and cheaper. The biggest problem I see is that these days a lot of shoppers are not bothered where the meat comes from along as it is cheap. I must admit to try and buy British Chicken, I fail to see why we import Chicken or eggs? Finally I do not agree with the "have not got the time" attitude to shopping, I take great satisfaction in shopping around and actually enjoy buying the best possible produce at the best prices. Lets face it a Tesco/Asda/Morrisons/Sainsbury Chicken Tikka Masala, microwave in twenty minutes, is not my cup of tea, or anyone else who likes good food, eh?

Aye, I hate ready meals and also cooked apart from tonight where I have a raging hangover from our Christmas party last so it's M&S pizza for me.

How it this for a rip off, the bar we were in last night for our Christmas do charge over ?5 for a pint and ?8 for a glass of wine!!!!!!!!!!! Luckily we didn't run out of booze our company brought but I could not believe the prices I heard this morning, outrageous but even more outrageous is the people who drink in there and pay that amount.

I moan about supermarkets a lot, but continue to use them, when I could, with a bit of time and effort, use the local shops and the markets, here in the South of France.

It's important that we keep grocery shops and butcher's shops open. I try not to buy veg in supermarkets, and remain loyal to our Moroccan grocer in a nearby village. I assume that he's more expensive than the supermarket, but I've been too lazy to check this out.

One thing I insist on is to boycott non-local products in the supermarket: why buy Spanish mussels, when they're farmed right here on the Med coast? Why buy Argentinian onions when we have great local onions farmed just down the road, with the name and address of the grower supplied?

I'm busy as hell at work, but I could make more of an effort to avoid the supermarket.

I also object to having to buy big packs of things at a supermarket, when I need only one or two. Then we're having to come up with ides to use up the surplus food.

You're quite right, Mamta: they treat us like fools.

Phil

A few days ago someone I know bought three packets of sliced meat (beef, ham and turkey) for ?5 from TESCO. To look at it in the packs you would think there were six slices in each pack that had been folded over, but it turned out to be three slices in each pack that had been cut in half. The label on the front of the pack had something to do with not being able to see the slices properly. So, nine slices of meat for sandwiches for ?5 is a tad on the expensive side if you ask me. People think they are getting a bargain so they snap it up (which, I imagine, is what they want people to think), but they use that side of peoples nature to rip them off and make a profit. With Christmas nearly upon us they think they can rip us off even more this time of year.

This is the time of year when people start releasing a new book, DVD, CD or perfume - everyone has their feelers out this time of year. People are conditioned to think that they HAVE to have a tin of quality street or roses chocolates. I wouldn't mind, but when you open the tin you find a few nice chocolates and the rest are penny toffees. Nobody gives anything for nothing, so it always pays to look between the lines and see what it is you are really paying for. ;o)