For consumable products that I use regularly, I tend to clip coupons and watch for sales. However, I've noticed that a lot of coupons (and even some sales) are useless, because the products in question are regularly on sale for significantly less.
For example, I recently had a coupon to save a dollar on a multipack of kleenex (not necessarily Kleenex-brand kleenex, but some brand or another). However, even after the coupon, the price came to approximately a dollar a box. Meanwhile, between the two grocery stores and two drug stores I frequent, there's always some brand of kleenex on sale somewhere for 49 cents a box.
Today I saw a beauty product I use on sale for $8.99, so I bought three. The receipt told me I'd saved $12, since the regular price at that store was $12.99. However, the regular price of the same product at a different store is $9.99. So while I did save money and it was the right time to stock up, I only saved $3.
I'm always finding coupons to save a few dollars on certain brands of make-up that I use. And those brands of make-up are always about half price on ebay.
I don't go out of my way to comparison-shop, I just happen to live and work in high-density neighbourhoods containing several stores that sell things I regularly buy. But even then, it took me about seven years of living on my own before I started noticing these patterns. I can imagine how people in lower-density areas or people with children to take care of in addition to doing their job will be even less likely to notice these patterns.
How much extra money are stores making because customers fall for these false savings? And what other false savings might I not be noticing?
3 comments:
I frequently see coupons for $2.00 off the OTC allergy meds I use, good only on a package of 10. I buy a package of 36 or 50, and the per pill price is way less than the pack of 10 with the coupon. I guess the 10 is a trial size, but for regular users, it's a false savings.
I think the most egregious example of false savings I've ever found is Shoppers' Drug Mart's Optimum loyalty card: the bottom half of this post.
Shopper's does have the advantage of having the cheapest milk, if you drink non-organic cows' milk. They're selling it practically at cost, probably so people like me will have to walk through their cosmetics section at least once a week.
Interesting loss leader. I never did comparison shopping for milk, opting for the convenience of buying it at Loblaws when we buy all the other groceries. Milk is a big expense in Ontario, so I bet this works out well for them.
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