Supermarkets have been ordered to put an end to potentially misleading and bogus special offers.
A study carried out by consumer watchdog Which? revealed that some of the presumed discounts actually turned out to be more expensive than than the original price.
For example, Which? found that Asda raised the price of Uncle Ben’s Express Basmati Rice from £1 to £1.58, and then offered a ‘two for £3′ deal. When the deal ended, the store put the price for a single item back to £1.
In addition, some discounted products had been at the lower price for longer than the original higher price. Which? discovered that Sainsbury’s sold Carex Aloe Vera &Eucalyptus Moisturising Antibacterial Handwash at £1.80 for seven days, and then put it on offer at ‘was £1.80 now 90p’ for 84 days.
Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director, said: “We’ve found dodgy discounts across the aisles, and with rising food prices hitting shoppers’ budgets hard we think supermarkets are not playing fair.”
In light of these findings, Which? is launching a new campaign which encourages supermarkets to ‘Make Special Offers Special’.
