Supermarkets are as sneaky as they ever were and, in our opinion, getting worse. The good news is that you’re all getting sick and tired of it.
The fake discounts and multi-buys that are more expensive than buying individual packs are finally catching up with them.
A survey by Netmums for the Sunday Times found that 80% of customers want better regulation of supermarkets.
At Money Fight Club we agree and say you need to go into supermarkets armed and prepared to be ambushed if you don’t keep your wits about you.
A basic supermarket self defence weapon is the good old calculator (there’s probably one on your mobile). It helps to work which size pack is the better bargain when large banners are proclaiming rubbish deals and multi-buys.
Prepare to be ambushed
Some of the sums are easy but that doesn’t mean they don’t try and trip you up but piling loads of different sizes and quantities from same or similar brands next to each other, a not necessarily making it very clear which promotion applies to which pack, or by failing to ensure the packs line up with the shelf price that actually applies to them.
Toilet roll runaround
Here’s an example – a promotion offering a special offer on 18 toilet rolls for £6.65. Next to it the same brand is £3 for 9 rolls. It’s obvious that the big pack is lousier value. On the same shelf there’s another the large pack for £6. Better value than the promotion pack, right? No. That bigger pack only contains 16 toilet rolls.
That’s one example from my shop last week. There are many more.
Here are some other tips while we wait to see if supermarket regulation will ever happen…
- A shopping list reduces the chance of falling for a teaser offer and it will help you to plan meals.
- Be careful out there and check your bill. It is surprising how many special offers do not make it on to the till receipt.
Another example from last Friday – two for £5 said the sign on the shelf but at the till the items were charged at £2.59 each with no discount until I pointed the offer out.