Last week, a Zara customer filed a lawsuit against the company accusing it of misleading customers by posting some prices in euros and others in U.S. dollars, and of making up its own exchange rates to charge more for those items with price tags in dollars. The plaintiff’s lawyers now say they have even more proof of this pricing switcheroo. [More]
price tags
Retailers Turn To Electronic Price Tags To Combat Amazon
By 7.17.15
On Amazon, not only can the price of a product change from minute to minute, but you often have multiple sellers offering the same product at different prices. How is a bricks-and-mortar retailer supposed to compete with that level of flexibility and agility? Not having to print out new price tags every time you tweak a price might be a start. [More]
Jewelry Stores Hide Price Tags So Customers Don’t Bolt For The Door Immediately
By 9.22.14
There’s nothing quite like cruising around the aisles of a jewelry store or department like a creep, stealing glances at baubles and bangles while trying not to act too interested. Because there are no price tags on many of those items, so heaven forbid if someone were to come up and ask if you want to check it out, and then if turns out to be nine majillion dollars you have to back out, embarrassed. There’s a reason there are no price tags proudly on display, of course. [More]
Walmart Fancy Feast Pricing Is Off Because Cats Can’t Do Math
By 3.19.14
Can cats do math? Maybe they can do math, and simply choose not to. Whatever the case, reader LukeBaby noticed some pricing shenanigans in the pet food department at Walmart. [More]
Carry This Secret Price Code Cheat Sheet To Hunt Down Sales Everywhere
By 10.31.13
We’ve previously shared with you Costco’s price tag code, but they’re not the only store that encodes not-so-secret sale information in the last two digits of an item’s price. Other stores do it too, including Target, Home Depot, Gap/Old Navy, and Sears. Want to crack the code and know when things are on their very lowest markdown? Here are the secrets. Update: this post’s info is out of date. Some newer info is here. [More]
Common Price Tag Gimmicks Retailers Use To Lure You In
By 3.1.12
JCPenney’s campaign to revitalize the brand, which includes celebrity commercial star Ellen DeGeneres and a redesigned logo, will continue this week with items priced at round numbers, like $20 instead of $19.99 this week. So what’s the big idea behind how retailers price items? Of course, every tag is aimed at convincing you to buy that item. Let’s check out some other common tricks. [More]
9 As Last Number On Pricetag Has Magical Effect On Sales
By 8.1.11
The rational consumer, like the black unicorn, is a myth. Otherwise how could you explain this study that showed that customers buy more when the last number on the pricetag is nine, even if the item is more expensive? [More]
Target's Reality Vortex Expands To Walgreens
By 11.15.09
Stephanie sent us this photo from her local Walgreens. Have they been taking lessons in pricing from Target? Sure, MSRP is is merely a suggestion, but this is a rather obvious case.
Guess Which Price Rang Up At The Register
By 11.5.09
While shopping at a Florida Target, Nancy spotted two prices for identical two-packs of baby food, one for 87 cents and the other for $1.09.
Gamestop Decides To Charge The Higher Of Two Sticker Prices, Won't Refund Difference
By 5.20.09
Matt bought a used game from Gamestop, and there were two prices on the case. Instead of being charged the lower $14.99 price, the cashier charged him $19.99. Matt only noticed this after he left the store, so he returned and asked for an adjustment. The cashier refused, then tried to remove the cheaper tag in front of Matt. Update: Matt spoke with a District Manager and got a full refund.
CVS Beverage Prices: Only Off By $997 Or So
By 5.14.09
A few weeks apart, in different stores, readers Spencer and Sean spotted the same error on CVS shelf tags. Printing error? Zoned-out employees? Maybe our assumptions are all wrong, and it’s an innovative new pricing strategy.
Massachusetts Supermarkets Want To Remove Price Tags From Items
By 6.25.08
A bill is advancing through the Massachusetts legislature that will allow supermarkets to leave off item price tags and instead force customers to rely on electronic scanners spaced throughout the store. Although prices will still need to be displayed on store shelves for most items, you’ll have to rely on your memory and your faith in the store’s scanner system at checkout. John Hurst, the president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, “said consumers will benefit in the form of lower prices and shortened lines once stores no longer need to devote resources to item-by-item pricing.” But kjd aa- [thump]
