A law firm has warned UK supermarkets that they should be more clear with start dates for their price lock campaigns, and not rotate the products involved to avoid confusing consumers.
This week, Morrisons revealed 460 price cuts had been added to over 600 already low prices and that around 1,000 products would be held at today’s price for at least eight weeks.
However, the retailer has already raised the price of some of the products that were included in the eight-week price lock commitment (announced on 20 March), breaking its promise to consumers several weeks early.
For example, a 2.5kg pack of baking potatoes was this week £1.80, up from £1.59 previously. Additionally, carrots (500g) had risen from 30p to 35p, celery (80g) from 57p to 60p, and an iceberg lettuce from 65p to 70p.
Head of consumer goods and services at law firm Irwin Mitchell, Charlotte Rees-John told The Grocer: “Consumers would likely assume that a price freeze applies to the products listed for the stated period.
“Therefore, retailers should adhere to the specific date given for the start of the freeze and not change the products covered or increase their prices during that period.”
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Morrisons revealed it would be reducing prices on 820 products in January, when it also said 1,000 products would be price locked for eight weeks.
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and M&S have also been running price lock campaigns in cycles this year.
Speaking to The Grocer, Morrisons said its eight-week commitment on 20 March did not necessarily apply to all the products from that date.
“For each phase of the campaign we have had over 1,000 prices locked and lowered for at least eight weeks,” said a Morrisons spokeswoman.
“In between that we have also been lowering additional products so the [five] items were actually lowered five weeks earlier than 20 March – they were then held at their low price for eight weeks.”
