A can of Napolina Plum Tomatoes was recently on sale at various Sainsbury stores at 50 pence. Why then was a sleeve of 'four' selling at £3.50 in the same store?
In other words, the pack of four was 37.5p per can dearer than a single can.
Sainsbury's responded: "As you can imagine, in line with industry standards, we promote different pack sizes at different times. For example, since your first email [the one the press office did not answer?], the offer on a single can of Napolina has finished, while the four pack is down to £2, from £3.50...."
In words of the canny shopper... we realise we have been rumbled; and so we have stopped misleading shoppers, by reducing the correct item... instead of the one that allows us to hoodwink you; repeatedly.
Sainsbury's claimed that it was the single can itself that was on 'special offer' - and not the carton of four; thereby reducing a single from £1 to fifty pence - as and when it suited.
Apparently Sainsbury's pushes the single price of a can of tomatoes up and down throughout the year. However, unsuspecting customers do not usually expect a single can to cost 'less' than a carton of four, and so this seems to be somewhat convenient... for Sainsbury's.
A carton of four is presumed to be cheaper, isn't it? Otherwise people would just buy four single cans, at £2, which then cost less than the pack of four - at £3.50. [In fact, a certain sharp-eyed shopper did this, and saved £1.50.]
The questions that shoppers to Sainsbury's should surely be asking: Is that "special offer" really that special.
And if so... special to whom?
TheBigRetort
