Opinion : Not a very special offer

What a miserable weather  it was today.

The persistent drizzle at lunchtime spoilt my lunchtime walk around Wycombe town centre. However yours truly was not deterred even if eating my sandwiches on a bench in the Parish Church yard was a tricky balancing act between holding my lunch box in one hand and an umbrella in the other.

To while away the time, and get out of the rain, after eating lunch your humble servant decided to visit a town centre supermarket.

It’s funny but every time one goes into a supermarket I always seem to end up by the chocolates and sweets. Today there were some very well known bars of chocolate on special offer.

By George! Who could turn down the offer of three individual bars of a certain brand of chocolate on special offer for just £1.20. The confectionery in question was a rather chunky bar of chocolate that was supposedly favoured by lorry drivers in the 1970’s.

Naturally nine bars were placed in my basket and yours truly continued my walk around the shop. Nine bars will probably last me three days, it may not be the healthiest of food but it stops me feeling hungry.

Eventually my good self arrived in the back corner of the store by the moving walkway where there was another display of confectionery. To my amazement there were specially wrapped three packs of the same chocolate but this time the three bars were on special offer at just £1 per pack.

By Jove! I exclaimed and took a step back in amazement.

So I could buy three individual bars on special offer for £1.20 but elsewhere in the shop three bars wrapped together in a packet cost just £1.

In a flash the nine individual bars already in my basket were placed on a nearby shelf and three wrapped packs each containing three bars were placed into my basket. Thanks to my sharp eyesight I saved myself 60p.

A special offer should be just that, special. You should not be able to by the same items elsewhere in the shop for less whether they are wrapped together or not.

Traders have to conform to strict guidelines on weights and measures but I think its time that rules were brought in which said that price also needs to be accurate and if a product is on a special offer then the same items should not be on sale elsewhere in the shop at a cheaper price no matter how the goods are packaged.

I wonder how many people paid the extra 20p per pack? A good few I suspect.

Sadly times are hard and for anyone on a low income every penny matters even if it is just a few pence on a bar of chocolate.

What do you think?

*My next blog will be published on Friday evening around 8pm here on the WycombeToday.com website.