Stealth Supermarket Price Hikes

[Paddy]

Stealth Supermarket Price Hikes

Following Christmas I have noticed some price hikes in the supermarkets of 10% to 30%. No doubt this is a ploy for when the vat increate comes in they will say “prices remain the same”

[Freamon]

Stealth Supermarket Price Hikes

Following Christmas I have noticed some price hikes in the supermarkets of 10% to 30%. No doubt this is a ploy for when the vat increate comes in they will say “prices remain the same”

Have you noticed any price reductions? e.g. of christmas-related stuff?

[centurian]

This kind of stuff has always happened - just that we're becomming more wise to it.

Firms never drop/hold prices for your benefit. The only reason it's done is

a) Getting rid of excess stock - rarely an issue for supermarkets, except for odd lines approaching sell-by date
b) Getting cash urgently - again not an issue for supermarkets
c) Making people believe they're getting something cheaper

It's all marketing, pure and simple. Put prices up, then cut them to give the impression that stuff is cheaper. And it works - because people think that when something is 50% off - then it must be cheap - they don't bother to check the actual price and work out whether it's good value anyway.

[TimberWolf]

Manufacturers are also at when they make their products smaller. e.g.

[MarillionFan]

I for one held my prices on furniture all year. I have seen a 50% drop in large furniture sales even with my reduced prices. In October I decided to up
prices by 30%. I sold hardly my furniture again.

Last week I started an aggressive sale showing 20-50% reductions, with a 'was x now y' advertisement.

Lo and behold furniture
is now flying out, some at prices higher than my price in the summer.

Consumers for the most are idiots.

[VectraMan]

How do you notice a 10% increase in supermarket items? Are you wondering around with a spreadsheet open on your laptop comparing prices each time you go? Have you found a practical use for an iPad?

Obviously all the retailers will be keeping prices artificially high so they can ride the "beat the VAT increase" wave. Then we'll have a little while of "we'll pay the VAT increase for you" deals, before finally in a month or two they'll lower the prices to where they'd ordinarily be. That's probably not so true for food, but I'm sure that's what'll happen for things like TVs.

[norrahe]

I for one held my prices on furniture all year. I have seen a 50% drop in large furniture sales even with my reduced prices. In October I decided to up
prices by 30%. I sold hardly my furniture again.

Last week I started an aggressive sale showing 20-50% reductions, with a 'was x now y' advertisement.

Lo and behold furniture
is now flying out, some at prices higher than my price in the summer.

Consumers for the most are idiots.

That's a common sales tactic anyway, slow increments upwards for a short period before then announcing a "sale" with reductions therefore making the general public think they are getting something cheaper and then shop owner isn't out of pocket.

[Sysman]

How do you notice a 10% increase in supermarket items? Are you wondering around with a spreadsheet open on your laptop comparing prices each time you go? Have you found a practical use for an iPad?

No, you put the supermarket receipts into your spreadsheet when you get home.

But some folks can simply remember the price of a product from one week to the next. Wimmin tend to be good at this.

[MarillionFan]

No, you put the supermarket receipts into your spreadsheet when you get home.

But some folks can simply remember the price of a product from one week to the next. Wimmin tend to be good at this.

Wimmin.

Don't make me laugh. They don't have a clue about prices.

[TimberWolf]

No, you put the supermarket receipts into your spreadsheet when you get home.

But some folks can simply remember the price of a product from one week to the next. Wimmin tend to be good at this.

Or vaguer, think to yourself upon receipt of the, er, receipt, jeez, my shopping wasn't this expensive a year ago, and why can't I stick a whole Mars bar in my gob now, unlike when I was a kid when I had a smaller mouth?