A consumer group has alerted customers of bogus deals in supermarkets, which might not be as good value as originally assumed.
Which? highlighted different ways in which retailers had trid to lure customers in with eye-catching promotions.
The first was products becoming smaller in size, yet the cost remained the same – or even increased. For example, Nestlé Matchmakers Cool Mint shrank from 151g to 130g, but stayed the same price – £2.24.
Tesco was found to alternate offers on a few similar items, such as three bottles of Hardys red wine. Between June and November last year, there was always one bottle at a discounted price. Sometimes these promotions switched between bottles on the same day.
Supermarkets sometimes higlighted the fact a product was only £1 – often with a red label – however this did not guarantee the price was discounted. Asda had £1 stickers on produce such as garlic and cherry tomatoes, which had been that price for most of the previous year.
Nearly half of shoppers told Which? they had bought a product they thought was on offer, but it actually wasn’t. Marks &Spencer sold mixed grapes next to a ‘two for £4’ sign, yet the item wasn’t part of this deal.
