Skip to content

works for you

Member access:

Dubious supermarket 'special offers' uncoveredThe offers we think might mislead consumers

18 October 2011

Special offers

Are special offers as good value as they seem? 

Which? has found offers that we think might mislead consumers – with some items on the shelves at ‘half price’ after only a matter of days being sold at the higher price.

We bought a basket of goods in Asda, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose every week for three months, as well as tracking wines online.

Here are some examples of what our investigation uncovered.

  • Asda raspberries advertised as ‘rollback’ when they weren’t.
  • Sainsbury’s cherries half price for eight weeks when it admitted they were only at the higher price for 15 days.
  • Tesco Hardys Crest Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 75cl on offer for 12 weeks out of 14.
  • Waitrose blueberries discounted for 10 weeks out of 14, and M&S blueberries on offer for 13 weeks out of 14.
  • Morrisons cherries not at the higher price in the shop we bought them (though it said there was a sign explaining this).

Which? members can read the full investigation about special offers in the November issue. Not already a subscriber? Sign up to try Which? for just £1.

Special offers affect how we shop

38%the proportion of you who say you're swayed by supermarket special offers

Special offers dictate our buying habits – 59% of you say that you swap items you were intending to buy for those on special offer, and 38% say they frequently buy things that they weren’t intending to because they are on offer.

So while genuine deals can only be a good thing, there’s a difference between cheap food and offers that might mislead you into thinking you’re getting an extra-special bargain when you’re not. 

Over the coming months Which? will be talking to retailers, food manufacturers and producers, experts and government about these issues. We’ll be making sure that consumers’ concerns are properly understood and
sensible, practical steps taken to give us value for money.

Supermarkets respond

Asda: 'Strawberries and 225g packs of raspberries were mistakenly advertised as "rollback". This was due to human error and will be rectified.'

M&S: 'We always aim to follow guidelines on promotions and have done here. This summer, due to the changes in the weather and the issues we have had with crop availability, we have, where appropriate, referred to a previous higher price which was not available for the full 28 days. Where we have had further reductions we have detailed the intervening prices and made clear comparisons to enable our customers to understand these promotions. We always explain our offers and the price comparisons we make with in-store ticketing and décor.'

Morrisons: '250g packs of cherries were on sale for seven days at the full price, though not in the shop you bought them from. These offers complied with guidelines, as this information would have been displayed at
point of sale.'

Sainsbury’s: 'Packs of cherries were at the higher price for 15 days. However, due to human error this information was not displayed at point of sale. We apologise.'

Tesco: 'We have strict rules in place on pricing. We regret that these rules were not followed in these instances but can reassure customers that mistakes such as these are rare.'

Waitrose: 'We would never intend to mislead customers. We’re nearing the end of a piece of research (including advice from trading standards) to ensure our special offers are absolutely within the framework of the law, and are completely clear to consumers.'

More on this...