As a general rule, the Consumer Council believes that the shelf price should reflect what you ultimately pay at checkout. The consumer shouldn’t be surprised by the price either way, Gunstein Instefjord, head of consumer policy at the Consumer Council, tells Nettavisen.
The price in the store is wrong
A random sample of Rema 1000 showed a price difference of 17 kroner between the shelf price and the box price of Nidar stuffed Easter eggs. At Kiwi, the price difference for four bottles with Solo was ten kroner. Ketchup showed a similar difference. In Extra we found similar examples of several items. In all cases, the price at checkout was lower than what was shown on the price label. And it’s not the first time Nettavisen has seen that the shelf price doesn’t match the price at checkout.
When we discussed this issue this summer, it faded into the inbox of frustrated grocery customers who regularly encountered problems at the grocery store.
– Around Easter, like all other seasons, there is always stiff competition and many price cuts. As in the example Nettavisen sent us, after the price is reduced, the price at checkout may be cheaper than the price on the label. This is because the payment process is updated automatically while the labels must be replaced by a store employee, Rema 1000 communications director Hanne Knudsen tells Nettavisen. She notes that stores are trying to keep up with the best labels possible with updated labels.
See what other grocery players are answeringgearEd in the case.
Read also: Price war on Easter treats: – Several hundred prices change every day
Special personnel monitor competitors’ prices
– If there are technical reasons for different prices between the shelf label and the checkout label, then string sorting should be easy, the Consumer Council points out.
Most grocery store prices are displayed on electronic price signs. In addition, it is common to use posters, especially for large campaigns. Low-cost chains are fighting every day to be cheaper than the competition. With holidays like Easter approaching, competition for customers intensifies.
The technology in electronic price signs makes it possible to change several thousand electronic prices with the click of a button. The price system is effective in relation to rapid price changes, which is important in the battle to offer the same price or cheaper goods than the competition.
Kiwi recently told Nettavisen that they have slashed the price of several hundred items. In the ongoing price war with competitors, Oda said they change the prices of hundreds of items every day.
Grocery chains have employees who systematically monitor competitors’ prices, so the price on the shelf is not assumed to be the same at checkout.
Read also: Therefore, you should always ask for the receipt at the grocery store: – This is not acceptable
The grocery store is required to report the correct price
Price Information Regulations The grocery store is required to disclose the cost of goods and services. This summer, Nettavisen revealed that Tusenfryd broke the law at a booth where there is no information on the price of any merchandise.
Caroline Skardrud, an attorney at the Consumer Council, told Nettavisen: – Here the law is crystal clear, the consumer of course must know what it costs before they buy something.
Information about the price is provided by law, in part because the consumer must have the opportunity to compare prices. In the Nettavisen examples, this option will not be available to customers in the store if the stated price is incorrect.
The purpose of regulations is to promote quality price information – among other things to improve competition between businesses, and to make it easier for consumers to compare prices.
– What will the Consumer Council do about customers’ distrust of the advertised prices in the store?
The intensity depends on whether it is a conscious or unconscious exercise. We understand that errors can occur in stores with thousands of items, but it is very worrying that stores intentionally choose to withhold important pricing information from the customer.
The Consumer Council believes that price tests based on shelf price rather than checkout would make hiding prices for low-priced, unpleasant items less attractive to stores.
Sarah Joy Lyons has a Ph.D. in Consumer Behaviour. I mentioned earlier that this practice is very confusing.
Pricing-conscious choices become difficult for consumers when pricing is wrong, she said when Nettavisen raised the issue this summer.
Read also: Here, Tossenfried violates the law: – The law is crystal clear
Kiwi: – It is important that customers trust our prices
– It is important to us that our customers trust the prices they see, whether they are stickers or electronic price tags. It’s tough competition, and especially before the holidays, there can be frequent changes, Kristin Akvaj Arvin, director of communications for Kiwi, tells Nettavisen.
Aakvaag Arvin says they have invested in electronic price tags across all stores, which update prices automatically. It says stores are notified of price changes so they can update the labels on an ongoing basis.
We remind stores regularly by remembering to update the labels, she said.
– We are now in one of the periods when most price adjustments occur, and then for the benefit of the customer at lower prices. In order to be the cheapest chain, we can make several price adjustments on the same product on the same day. Then it may happen that stores don’t have time to print a new price label and put it on hold before prices are adjusted again, Harald Christiansen, Coop’s director of communications, tells Nettavisen.
Christiansen notes that Nettavisen’s revelations are about handmade price tags in the store. He acknowledges that it can be difficult for customers to compare prices when there are discrepancies, and says they are constantly working to improve their routines.
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