Illogical pricing

[hobz]

New theory popped into my mind.

 

The people setting the prices for Tesco nation wide is probably pretty high position and they might simply be incompetent. Ignoring or failing at what must be routine price sanity 

1 minute ago, The Deerhunter said:

I used to shop with a calculator in Farangland and find them too. But more common and some here are weird.  Parrot soap and  Attack laundry detergents at Tesco Lotus.   And so many others I cannot remember.   Look at the level of education of the average Thai and it is not hard to understand.  Even some of the back room marketing and pricing staff at some of these big places must be an eye opener for education and ability levels.   Maybe no one wants to point it out to the boss or he might lose face and they lose their job.  That is highly possible in some cases with the environment here.  A couple of supermarket managers have made themselves known to me at times when I asked questions and staff "got the boss" and I was not impressed in their priorities.  Note:  I did not ask to see the boss.  I just asked questions the staff could not answer.

Yeah, incompetence is widespread in Thailand. Low education levels.  But guess what, not the brightest tools in the box work at supermarkets in Sweden either.... Yet somehow this problem is non-existent in Sweden.

[worgeordie]

Send off an email to the largest retailers in Sweden and ask them

your question,you will get a reply, ask the same question

to Thai retailers and you will get no reply,so stop worrying about

it, there are so many things here that defy logic ,just get on

with your life.

regards worgeordie

[hobz]

3 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Send off an email to the largest retailers in Sweden and ask them

your question,you will get a reply, ask the same question

to Thai retailers and you will get no reply,so stop worrying about

it, there are so many things here that defy logic ,just get on

with your life.

regards worgeordie

I'm not worried about it. I just want to understand it. Let's call it curiosity. And yes, many things here defy logic. I chalk most of it up to incompetence. And that's fine. I don't have my panties in a bunch. ?

[Yeahbutwhytho]

I noticed it too, pretty funny

[Crossy]

1 hour ago, hobz said:

But why does this happen in Thailand and not in Sweden? 

I bet it does, you've just not noticed.

 

It's a well known "scam" the world over, people "assume" the bigger pack is better value, it often isn't.

[hobz]

4 minutes ago, Crossy said:

I bet it does, you've just not noticed.

 

It's a well known "scam" the world over, people "assume" the bigger pack is better value, it often isn't.

Ok sure, it must happen in Sweden but I never noticed it in 30 years and I always check. Yet here I notice it countless times in just 6 years. 

There is a clear difference. Explain or be considered off topic.

 

Edit: how can u trust that I always checked in Sweden? Because swedish people always check! Maybe that's the answer right there.

Edited August 7, 2018 by hobz

[Crossy]

Just now, hobz said:

Explain or be considered off topic.

I can't explain why YOU haven't noticed, and I'm not Swedish so I can't use personal experience.

 

We certainly have other Swedish members, perhaps they could chime in with their experience.

[hobz]

Turns out that swedes are the Jews of Europe.. joke joke sorry if I offended u.

[hobz]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

I can't explain why YOU haven't noticed, and I'm not Swedish so I can't use personal experience.

 

We certainly have other Swedish members, perhaps they could chime in with their experience.

U can't explain it because there was nothing to notice because it happens extremely rarely in Sweden. 

[Crossy]

4 minutes ago, hobz said:

U can't explain it because there was nothing to notice because it happens extremely rarely in Sweden. 

According to a single witness, you. That's 1/9900000 th of the population, I think we need a bigger sample size ?

 

I certainly noticed it more than a few times in the UK, Belgium and Italy. I notice it here too, can't really say if it's more or less than Europe, I don't count.

 

[hobz]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

According to a single witness, you. That's 1/9900000 th of the population, I think we need a bigger sample size ?

 

 

Ehm sure. What if I call all my friends and relatives in Sweden and ask them a bunch of leading questions? Would that hold up in court?

But humor me, let's assume my testimony is legit. What could cause such a noticable difference in pricing practices between two cultures?

[Daffy D]

I've given up in trying to work out the cheaper option. They will have a pack of say 100gm at a certain price and the smaller packs will be 35gm or some other odd number so even with a calculator it would take some quantum mathematics to work it out. The difference in price (if any) is just not worth the metal effort. I let the wife deal with it maybe she understands the logic.

 

Another thing that annoys the wife (and me when I follow her round) is that they periodically change the location of their stock.  The wife makes a shopping list with the items in order as we walk round the store, quick and easy, then the following month they change it all round and we're zig-zagging all over the place trying to find the items we want...…..Grrrrrrrr!    

[Crossy]

Just now, hobz said:

What could cause such a noticable difference in pricing practices between two cultures?

Businesses the world over price-gouge because they can get away with it. Eventually enough people complain (these days on social media), sales of the larger, more expensive, packs falls off and they move on to another scam.

 

Up until relatively recently Thailand didn't have a supermarket culture so they are probably at the "scam point" that Europe was at 20-30 years back. No need to re-invent the wheel.

 

I've noticed BOGOF (buy one get one free) packs that are the same price as a single pack. Until you look at the contents and find two similar sized bottles each only half filled (and truthful if you read the label). There are just soooo many ways that you can be taken ...

 

[Crossy]

2 minutes ago, Daffy D said:

I've given up in trying to work out the cheaper option.

Makro actually put a price each or per 100ml on the shelf tag, no need to do any sums.

 

2 minutes ago, Daffy D said:

Another thing that annoys the wife (and me when I follow her round) is that they periodically change the location of their stock. 

Yup, dashed annoying. It's supposed to make you pass things you wouldn't normally and impulse buy. We don't.

[hobz]

6 minutes ago, Daffy D said:

I've given up in trying to work out the cheaper option. They will have a pack of say 100gm at a certain price and the smaller packs will be 35gm or some other odd number so even with a calculator it would take some quantum mathematics to work it out. The difference in price (if any) is just not worth the metal effort. I let the wife deal with it maybe she understands the logic.

 

Another thing that annoys the wife (and me when I follow her round) is that they periodically change the location of their stock.  The wife makes a shopping list with the items in order as we walk round the store, quick and easy, then the following month they change it all round and we're zig-zagging all over the place trying to find the items we want...…..Grrrrrrrr!    

Hehe sounds like they are trying to confuse you so that you spend longer time in the store and build up that craving for something sweet that will be presented to you near the register ? they do this in Sweden too.

[hobz]

6 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Businesses the world over price-gouge because they can get away with it. Eventually enough people complain (these days on social media), sales of the larger, more expensive, packs falls off and they move on to another scam.

 

Up until relatively recently Thailand didn't have a supermarket culture so they are probably at the "scam point" that Europe was at 20-30 years back. No need to re-invent the wheel.

 

I've noticed BOGOF (buy one get one free) packs that are the same price as a single pack. Until you look at the contents and find two similar sized bottles each only half filled (and truthful if you read the label). There are just soooo many ways that you can be taken ...

 

Ok, so maybe swedes are particularly difficult to scam this way so the wise businessman in Sweden resorts to prices that actually incentives the big volume buyer. 

[janclaes47]

Big C is selling for years already 6 donuts for 28 Baht, next to it is a box with 10 donuts, which has a sticker "save" pack 50 Baht.

[Daffy D]

A trick I've discovered is NEVER go supermarket shopping when you are hungry, you always buy more stuff.

 

 

[hobz]

6 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Makro actually put a price each or per 100ml on the shelf tag, no need to do any sums.

 

Yup, dashed annoying. It's supposed to make you pass things you wouldn't normally and impulse buy. We don't.

All the stores in Sweden have the per unit price thing.. so it will say like.

Price: 20 SEK

per gram: 0.1 SEK

for a bag of 200gram chips.

 

I always do my own calculation, specially if there is a promotion. 

 

[hobz]

3 minutes ago, janclaes47 said:

Big C is selling for years already 6 donuts for 28 Baht, next to it is a box with 10 donuts, which has a sticker "save" pack 50 Baht.

You eating those big c donuts huh.. they good? 

[Crossy]

Just now, hobz said:

All the stores in Sweden have the per unit price thing

Possibly a legal requirement, due to too many big-pack scams, dunno.

 

6 minutes ago, hobz said:

Ok, so maybe swedes are particularly difficult to scam this way so the wise businessman in Sweden resorts to prices that actually incentives the big volume buyer. 

Possibly, also, many people buy the big "value" pack and don't use all the contents before it goes off.

 

[Crossy]

1 minute ago, hobz said:

You eating those big c donuts huh.. they good? 

Only if you buy two 6-packs ?

 

[hobz]

3 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Possibly a legal requirement, due to too many big-pack scams, dunno.

 

Possibly, also, many people buy the big "value" pack and don't use all the contents before it goes off.

 

Yep. That's a scam in itself. To trick people into buying more than they need. This happens in Sweden constantly. 

 

Personally I always ask myself if I can use that much.. and I never buy huge amounts of candy or alcohol because I know I will consume much more if I do.

 

Edit: it's illegal to promote alcohol that way in Sweden I think. Pretty sure. Prices for alcohol. Must be same no matter the quantity.

Edited August 7, 2018 by hobz

[hobz]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

Only if you buy two 6-packs ?

 

Hehe you in Chiang Mai?

[Crossy]

1 minute ago, hobz said:

Hehe you in Chiang Mai?

Nah, Pathum Thani, rest assured the same "creative" pricing goes on down here too.

[Crossy]

8 minutes ago, hobz said:

This happens in Sweden constantly. 

The Swedes have evidently sussed the original "big-pack better value" scam (which is why you don't see it), now you're being subjected to the "buy too much and ditch half of it" scam (coming soon to a Thai supermarket near you!).

 

I wonder what the next stage will be.

[hobz]

Just now, Crossy said:

The Swedes have sussed the original "big-pack better value" scam, now you're being subjected to the "buy too much and ditch half of it" scam.

 

I wonder what the next stage will be.

Exactly. This.

 

The next stage is probably already happening. It's the buy the overpriced gadget (latest iPhone) for free without downpayment but with a monthly 900 years long subscription to insert overpriced phone operator here. 

[digbeth]

3 hours ago, The Deerhunter said:

I used to shop with a calculator in Farangland and find this type of gitch too. But more common in LOS and some here are weird.  Parrot soap, Gillette Fusion blades  and  Attack laundry detergents at Tesco Lotus.   And so many others I cannot remember.   Look at the level of education of the average Thai and it is not hard to understand.  Even some of the back room marketing and pricing staff at some of these big places must be an eye opener for education and ability levels.   Maybe no one wants to point it out to the boss or he might lose face and they lose their job.  That is highly possible in some cases with the environment here.  A couple of supermarket managers have made themselves known to me at times when I asked questions and staff "got the boss" and I was not impressed in their priorities.  Note:  I did not ask to see the boss.  I just asked questions the staff could not answer.

Would you prefer if they ignore you when they can't answer the question to your satisfaction or get someone more senior who might have a chance of understanding you?

[digbeth]

2 hours ago, hobz said:

All the stores in Sweden have the per unit price thing.. so it will say like.

Price: 20 SEK

per gram: 0.1 SEK

for a bag of 200gram chips.

 

I always do my own calculation, specially if there is a promotion. 

 

Thai law also require price per unit for essential things like milk and oil, 

[The Deerhunter]

1 hour ago, digbeth said:

Would you prefer if they ignore you when they can't answer the question to your satisfaction or get someone more senior who might have a chance of understanding you?

I was just confirming I didn't say "I want to talk to the manager"