Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts

Are “special offers” and bargains in supermarkets all a bit of a con? The Independent (London) newspaper reports that the British Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) recently completed a three month investigation into UK retailers .

Why am I completely unsurprised by their findings?

  • Waitrose blueberries were on “half-price” for six weeks after two weeks at the “higher price”. Goods should be sold at the higher price for at least 28 days, government guidelines say.
  • Marks & Spencer had “half-price” cherries at £2.49 when the higher price was only 50p more;
  • Sainsbury’s sold Jacob’s Creek chardonnay for £4.79 for months after offering its higher price of £6.79 for just two weeks.

When something is marked as “half-price” in a supermarket, I wonder how long it has been at full price for previously. Was that “half-price” chicken bumped up in price a few weeks previously, left there for a few days, and then reduced?

Do you think Irish supermarkets are up to similar tricks as in the UK? If you have any concrete examples, let us know and we’ll post the information here.