Dunnes: grocery prices misleading, or more?

Pwpane

Buying groceries this evening - lamb chops offered in two size packets.

The larger packet of 6 chops has a red sticker with '15% cheaper' emblazoned on it, included in the price shown. The smaller packet of 4 chops had no red sticker but the price per kilogram was less than that of the chops with the reduced price. So the chops advertised as cheaper were actually dearer.

When I enquired, I was told that the packets were slightly different brands (both Dunnes, both Irish lamb) and the cheaper one was a lesser quality lamb. Both sets of chops were similar in size and thickness, both were untreated, neither claimed to be special in any way and basically looked identical.

I think this is misleading, if not false, advertising. It persuades people to buy more at higher prices by telling them they're saving money.

Is this legal?

Or is it likely that some lambs are dearer than others and Dunnes separate them but don't make any such claims such as better feeding etc?

gerrycollins

Were they exactly the same? Were both loin chops for example?

What does happen is that the 4 pack is a loss leader to compete with other retailers. Another example of this (I dont know if it still applies) was that 2 barrys 80 teas bags red were cheaper than a single 160 box.

sawdoubters

that's why you need to watch,if the price on it was the price charged,then its not illegal

the shop thinks you will not notice

I was reading tkat a shop will have 3 items the same one will price higher one middle and one lower people always choose middle one

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

What could be illegal? The price is clearly shown. The 6 pack may well have been 15% more expensive last week! There is nothing into say they are exactly the same product or quality. Anyway, that still wouldn't make anything illegal. Its no different than 2xhalf pound of butter being less that a one pound tub - as happens from time to time.
Dunne's did not say the 6 pack was better value than the 4. This is why we always look at the pricing when shopping!

sdanseo

Arlo Fresh Heater wrote: »

What could be illegal? The price is clearly shown. The 6 pack may well have been 15% more expensive last week! There is nothing into say they are exactly the same product or quality.

This. If the products aren't identical, no argument.

Buy meat from a butcher rather than Dunnes and you'll get better stuff cheaper and it won't come in a prepack either.

Dunnes in particular are dreadful when it comes to pricing oddness.

Example from yesterday: firelighters, same brand, different quantities. Some price labels used price/Kg and some used price/unit, making direct comparison more difficult. This is particularly heinous because they seem to have a penchant for making smaller quantity items cheaper per unit than the family pack size, because everyone just assumes a bulk discount will apply.

Another one is a shelf label saying 20% off, next to another regular shelf label with a price on it (no 'WAS X NOW Y!!!'). They always say that the label price includes the discount, but there have been a couple of occasions when I knew the regular price from a few weeks back was the same.

The final beauty is labeling an entire shelf of a product with several variants with a sale label, but in the fine print, only some of the variants are actually on sale.

If, at the till, a price is queried, the checkout person needs to call a manager. The manager has to go to the shelf, often with an entourage in tow, check and return. Then begins the search for the till key that needs to be inserted to override the transaction price. Usually 3-5 minutes all told. My inner cynic says the whole thing is a policy to disincentivise complaints over mispricings.

Pwpane

Arlo Fresh Heater wrote: »

What could be illegal? The price is clearly shown. The 6 pack may well have been 15% more expensive last week! There is nothing into say they are exactly the same product or quality. Anyway, that still wouldn't make anything illegal. Its no different than 2xhalf pound of butter being less that a one pound tub - as happens from time to time.
Dunne's did not say the 6 pack was better value than the 4. This is why we always look at the pricing when shopping!

The chops were identical. The manager could point out no difference. Indeed they did say the 6 pack was better value than the 4 - what else would you call 'better value family pack' and an identical product with 15% less emblazoned on it?

Perhaps the 6 pack was more expensive last week - but the meat had the same best before date.

It is misleading at best to call something better value and cheaper when it is neither.

sdanseo

Pwpane wrote: »

The chops were identical.

But the product propositions were not.

Pwpane wrote: »

It is misleading at best to call something better value and cheaper when it is neither.

True, but in this case unless you had proof that the 6-pack was never displayed at a higher price for at least 28 days, then it's perfectly legal.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Pwpane wrote: »

The chops were identical. The manager could point out no difference. Indeed they did say the 6 pack was better value than the 4 - what else would you call 'better value family pack' and an identical product with 15% less emblazoned on it?

Perhaps the 6 pack was more expensive last week - but the meat had the same best before date.

It is misleading at best to call something better value and cheaper when it is neither.

In your OP you said you were told they were different brands and different qualities. Hence the price difference. Were the grower and processor the exact same? Better value family pack referred to the first pack versus previous pricing. You feel misled, fair enough, but it is common to have differences in price value on many pre-packed meat products. Hence, I would never buy them.

sam34

did the sticker say "better value than the 4 pack" or did it just say "better value" and "15% cheaper" without saying what that was in comparison to? it could easily have been in comparison to the price that a6 pack of chops was previously sold for.

cast_iron

Deleted User wrote: »

Dunnes in particular are dreadful when it comes to pricing oddness.

Agreed.
The Dunnes I go to now and again nearly always has some product I look at not priced. Usually I just scan it at the price checker and move on. A couple of weeks back, I went to buy 5 or 6 things, not one of which had a price! I asked the passing manager to explain why a store that had previously been fined thousands of euro for not pricing items was at the same caper again. Grocery manager off work, blah blah, apologies, blah blah.

In fairness, almost all the products were priced when I was in a few days later, otherwise pictures were going to the NCA along with a complaint.

I suppose my point is: complain to the manager, then moan on boards if you you feel the necessity. If you don't notify the manager, nothing will happen.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I can get only assume it's a failure of local management, as I have never had a pricing error in my local Dunne's and I have shopped there for over 50 years. An odd error in the local Tesco over the years but not enough to moan about.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

sdanseo

Arlo Fresh Heater wrote: »

I can get only assume it's a failure of local management, as I have never had a pricing error in my local Dunne's and I have shopped there for over 50 years. An odd error in the local Tesco over the years but not enough to moan about.

I'd say you're not looking hard enough. Dunnes management is an epic fail, certainly in my local - the staff seem to have a blatant disregard for customers. Fair enough they're treated like waste product on a national scale as is widely reported, but if I didn't work in a retail outlet in the same shopping centre I'd have lost the plot with them by now.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

sdeire wrote: »

I'd say you're not looking hard enough. Dunnes management is an epic fail, certainly in my local - the staff seem to have a blatant disregard for customers. Fair enough they're treated like waste product on a national scale as is widely reported, but if I didn't work in a retail outlet in the same shopping centre I'd have lost the plot with them by now.

Then you'd say wrong!. I am one of those people who look carefully at all my purchases. I compare brands and pack sizes for cost per unit or per kg. I also know I havenevernpbeen charged incorrectly at the till either. I clearly said I found this where I shop and that it maybe a problem elsewhere but not here. I standby what I have found in over 50 years locally. You may find a different practice where you are and I don't doubt that so please don't question my ability to spot errors or attempts to hoodwink me in a supermarket.

looksee

Its always worth looking at the price per kilo rather than just the price. The difference in the price of loose versus prepacked veg is sometimes over 100%. Its not illegal though, its just up to the customer to pay attention.

Pwpane

looksee wrote: »

Its always worth looking at the price per kilo rather than just the price. The difference in the price of loose versus prepacked veg is sometimes over 100%. Its not illegal though, its just up to the customer to pay attention.

Agreed.

They don't label the dearer ones as cheaper, though.