Tesco Mind Games - Clearwater

MarkZ

Went shopping on Saturday. Normally, when I have issues in Tesco with the weekly shop they annoy me and I forget them in a few hours. This day though I decided to document them.

Issue 1 - nappies

I have to buy nappies - pampers size 3.

I go to the pampers aisle and there are two choices.

1st the carry pack @ e8.30 for 64 nappies (the price labels do not have a cost per nappy):

2nd the 'jumbo pack' which is a box containing 96 nappies. The offer is that two of these boxes cost e26.00 with a labelled cost saving of e6.98:

Which would you purchase? I would have assumed, without the aid of a calculator, that the larger boxed quantity is less expensive. But no... the cost per nappy for option 1 is 8.30/64.00 = 12.9c. The two-box option is e26/(96*2) = 13.54c. Great - so now I need a calculator to shop in Tesco.

Next up strawberries

So, a punnet of strawberries. There are again two options located right beside each other.

There is a regular punnet for e3.00 and a market value punnet for e2.25.

Hang on though, there is also a per kg price labelled. The regular is e7.50 per kg and the market value are e9.92 per kg. Whats going on? Oh - the regular punnet has more product in it, and the market value less so that a regular punnet costs more than a market value punnet.

This is very sneaky I think - because they are placed beside ecah other, Tesco are hoping that people will think "i'll get the cheeper strawberries - e2.25 vs e3.00".


Next up - potatoes

I honestly cannot believe this. People must not look at the prices of this staple. Tesco has three bins for roosters beside each other. Heres the difference:

2.5Kg - e3.99
5Kg - e4.00
7.5Kg - e4.45

No offers, no specials - this is standard tesco pricing for rooster potatoes. I can't say any more about this - there is no defense for this.

There were other issues aswell - own brand biscuits that were placed alongside branded biscuits at the same price, but weighed less.

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I dont think I shop at Tesco any more. I think they have analysed peoples behaviour to death and are now expert in what we do.

EG - we assume that own brand is better value than branded. This assumption creates a profit opportunity for them.

EG - we don't read weights - this assumption creates a profit opportunity for them.

God knows how many other tricks they play on us given the reasearch money at their disposal.

Its alot of hassle to go around a supermarket trying to figure out their tricks. Is Dunnes any better? I assume they must be given that they woundn't have the same money for research?

wmpdd3

Always bring a calculator when buying nappies everywhere, there are different numbers of nappies in the carry / ecconomy / jumbo / meda and giga packs depending on size.

Also the price per nappy is always pre-promotion, so no good when they are on offer.

Remember, Clearwateris a massive store, most Tescos only have 1 or 2 offers so no need to have to think!

the groutch

are you sure the strawberries were both irish, and both from the same grower?

ShooterSF

This is one area where I really don't have any sympathy for the customer. The price is on display if you just assume the value pack/ own brand/ larger quantity is better value then you get what you deserve tbh.

It's not just Tesco by the way. My local Supervalu sells their own brand mayo but it's more expensive than hellman's.

gouche

God damn Tesco for giving us so much choice and clearly displaying their prices under their products.:mad:

In all seriousness, they are a large multinational whose aim is to make a profit. If your not happy with that go shop elsewhere. Not that other supermarket chains are any better.

Oryx

They do this on everything, from coffee to weetabix. You have to check everything. Generally pricing is counter intuitive, you expect to buy bigger for better value, but its more expensive per kg for bigger packs nearly every time I check.

dudara

This is a topic that has been highlighted many times, both here on Boards and in other media, such as the Irish Times Consumer section.

In some cases, it is not even up to Tesco what prices are charged for the so-called "Value packs" as these feature prices set by the manufacturer.

However, for most products, the Tesco shelf price labels feature the price per unit/kg etc. Use this to make your decision on which is the better value product to purchase.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Firstly I think naming Tesco in the thread title is a bit low. The exact same type of offers ,or pricings, takes place in every supermarket. I don't usually shop in Tesco but they (like Dunnes) have a very clear pricing system and prices per unit/kg are always clear when I look for them. So, I can only blame the consumer if they assume anything about products.

bcirl03

Hadassah Rotten Nail wrote: »

Firstly I think naming Tesco in the thread title is a bit low. The exact same type of offers ,or pricings, takes place in every supermarket. I don't usually shop in Tesco but they (like Dunnes) have a very clear pricing system and prices per unit/kg are always clear when I look for them. So, I can only blame the consumer if they assume anything about products.

Name and shame I say...sounds like you work in the industry to me.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Then let's name them all because they all have such offers!

And NO I don't work anywhere near the industry. Perish the thought!:p

pawrick

same applies to their own brand milk - their 3 litre cartons are more expensive per litre then the 2 litre cartons per litre - or at least in my local tesco they are.

re the potatoes, they charge you extra for convenience, I don't want to be carrying 5kg bag around or having stuff go off, ditto the half slice pans so I usually I go for the smaller one even if it's over priced in comparision. Buy what you need.

A lot of people don't notice these things when shopping and in my opinion that's their own fault in most cases - I always do a quick calc. but I used to work in a supermarket as a student so I'm more aware of this.

dudara

bcirl03 wrote: »

Name and shame I say...sounds like you work in the industry to me.

Name and shame who? The entire grocery industry? ALL grocery retailers feature this practice - a lot of the time it's because the prices are outside their control.

What Srameen has pointed out is relatively common knowledge to anyone who has been reading this forum lately, or following consumer issues in the media.

The_Conductor

Hadassah Rotten Nail wrote: »

Firstly I think naming Tesco in the thread title is a bit low. The exact same type of offers ,or pricings, takes place in every supermarket. I don't usually shop in Tesco but they (like Dunnes) have a very clear pricing system and prices per unit/kg are always clear when I look for them. So, I can only blame the consumer if they assume anything about products.

I don't think that its low......
I shop around- I have to now that we have a kid and another on the way.
I'm lucky that I'm good with Math- and to be honest I do take the piss with Tesco's free if its more than it says on the shelf policy. I've yet to leave Tesco without getting something free- and on my last visit I got a refund of over EUR30 and a freezer full of free Youngs cod fillets.......
I know the other supermarkets screw up too- however for ongoing pricing incompetence, Tesco really take the biscuit. Their special offers are bizarre- and you do get the inverse of smaller products costing less too (e.g. currently a 4 pack of Birdseye Potato waffles is 1.45 but a 12 pack is 1.38 (right next to each other in the freezer compartment.........))

Sometimes I genuinely imagine that there is a policy of accepting everything the computer says- as its too difficult to override prices otherwise. Look at the constant misprices popping up in the Bargain Alerts thread- 8 cup Bodum Caffeteire for 2.68, next to the Tesco own brand one for 8.99 (and its normally about 30 quid)........ I'm sorted for Christmas pressies for a long while!

wmpdd3

The waffles and the caffeeteire are discontinued but the labels dont say reduced to clear. But duracell rechargeable batteries are a misprice at €1.50!