Published: 17:28, October 15, 2024
Watchdog: Supermarkets secretly raised product prices by over 10%
By Stephy Zhang in Hong Kong
Residents wearing face masks shop at a supermarket in Hong Kong, April 14, 2022. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Nearly 40 percent of examined supermarket products had undergone hidden price increases of over 10 percent, according to a recent revelation by the Hong Kong Consumer Council.

The consumer watchdog urged customers on Tuesday to be vigilant in scrutinizing prices so that they can make wise decisions in their purchases.

The results of a recent survey carried out by the council were published in the latest issue of its monthly magazine, Choice.

The council examined 62 products taken from local supermarkets, and found more than 90 percent of them had their size and weight altered and reduced in the past 42 months. The most affected items were confectionery, biscuits and snacks.

It said the biggest changes were detected in a cornflakes product, which had its weight reduced by 30 percent -- from 250 grams to 175 grams – while three other products had undergone weight cuts twice in less than three years.

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The council said although the content of the items concerned had been altered, their retail prices have not been reduced accordingly. On the contrary, nearly 40 percent of products had their prices stealthily inflated by over 10 percent, based on the average suggested retail price per unit.

Notably, a biscuit product saw the highest price hike after its weight was cut from 176 grams to 154 grams, while its suggested retail price surged from HK$33.5 ($4.31) to HK$37 -- a staggering 26.2-percent increase for every 10 grams.

The council said it’s worried about the global trend of shrinkflation in which the size of products diminish, but their prices remain constant, potentially taking consumers for a ride.

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The watchdog advised consumers to pay greater attention to the volume and weight of products when shopping, and urged manufacturers and retailers to improve transparency in providing information about what they sell to ensure that prices are clearly labeled to prevent negative brand perceptions.

The council also revealed its findings on 12 Vitamin C skincare products. It said one of them did not have any Vitamin C, while five were inadequately labeled and found to contain more than 40 percent of allergenic substances.

The watchdog also said consumers should be adequately informed of the terms and conditions concerning the sale of electronic gift cards and the provision of wedding banquet services. It added it had evaluated 34 Wi-Fi-related devices by assessing their signal coverage, speed and power consumption.

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Choice magazine, which has been published since 1976, is aimed at providing consumers with more and relevant information in purchasing products to avoid being deceived.

Contact the writer at stephyzhang@chinadailyhk.com