What Grinds Our Gears: Misleading prices

I shouldn’t have to search for the true price of grocery store items

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Bulk prices shouldn’t be more visible than individual item prices. ILLUSTRATION: Kitty Cheung / The Peak

By: Dev Petrovic, Opinions Editor

Generally, I don’t mind spending a little bit more on food items that I enjoy, as long as I am aware of the monetary value of the product. Alas, it seems like grocery stores tend to do everything in their power to make sure I misunderstand their product prices. I can’t afford to buy into the deals for larger quantities of food, but grocery stores definitely want me to do so because individual prices never seem to be properly displayed.

Most recently I went to Superstore for my regular grocery trip — I don’t usually shop there but decided to try it out for a change of scenery. To my dismay, I spent nearly double the amount I usually spend on groceries for approximately the same quantity. I looked at the receipt when I got home and realized that several products were priced differently than what I recalled seeing labelled on the store shelves. 

If one container of spinach dip is $3.50 then I want that to be the first price visible to me, not the individual price point it would be at if I bought five. In what world is this actually valuable information and not clearly a tactic to mislead me? I assure you Superstore, I do not need nor want five containers of dip. I just want to grab what I need and leave as soon as possible. Is that too much to ask for?

Once again, I have been completely bamboozled by capitalism and tricked by the flashy bold-lettered “deals.” News flash Superstore, it’s not really a fair deal for customers if the bulk price is more visible than the actual price. That’s just sneaky and incredibly misleading.

 

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