How to stop the supermarket specials confusion

HOW are we supposed to work out what’s the best deal at the supermarket these days?

example of confusing supermarket specials for moneysaverHQ

SELLING prices, discount prices, members’ prices, unit prices — how are we supposed to work out what’s the best deal at the supermarket these days?

As tough competition among supermarkets prompts them to create novel promotions and discount offers, shoppers are being urged to do a little more work when comparing deals.

“The proportion of specials at supermarkets seems to be growing all the time,” says Queensland Consumers Association spokesman Ian Jarratt.

“It’s a lot of information to digest and it’s often not as clear as it should be.”

Jarratt says the easiest way to make sense of it is to compare the unit price, which is the amount you pay per kilogram, litre or other unit of measurement. “That cuts out all the mystery.”

You may find that some items are on special but their unit price is still higher than if you bought a larger-sized package.

Choices, choices ... Shoppers are being urged to do a little more work when comparing deals.

Navigating some offers remains complicated. “Multi-buys are a problem when the offer applies to several products. I saw one with salmon, beans, soup and spaghetti where you could buy two for $3,” Jarratt says.

“What makes it difficult for people is they often don’t know what it costs if they just bought one item.

“You have just got to be alert to the fact that the supermarkets are trying to get you to purchase what they want you to buy.”

New University of South Australia research has found that one quarter of shoppers misjudge the value of deals.

Svetlana Bogomolova, a senior research associate at the university’s Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, says consumers can get overloaded by too many pieces of information on the one point-of-sale sign.

Fine print ... Weigh up the value of the discount, as some deals may only save a few cents.

“People are getting busier and more time poor these days. This means less time to spend on informed choices and more shortcuts to decision-making, which always comes at the cost of the accuracy,” she says.

Bogomolova’s tips for decoding supermarket specials include:

1. Check whether price discounts are for loyalty card holders only — if you don’t have one or forget your card you will pay full price;

2. Weigh up the value of the discount, as some deals may only save a few cents;

3. Buying the “everyday low price” or “locked down low price” results in no real discounts;

4. Compare the discount with alternative brands and pack sizes to make sure you get the best price;

5. Multi-buy offers may result in you buying more than you need and lead to wastage.

“It’s important we all develop the numeracy skills needed to tell a good deal from a bad one,” Bogomolova says.

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