By Maria Famakinwa

|

Mr Ani, was surprised when he got to one of the popular supermarkets in Akure, Ondo state capital to do some shopping but discovered that the price tag was not there. He said: “I asked one of the staff about the price tag and she told me not to bother that I should pick  my items and take it to the checkout where I would be informed of the price. As I started complaining and condemning the idea which I see as another way of exploiting shoppers, I heard another customer arguing with an employee of the same supermarket that it was a deliberate act by some supermarkets in Akure to exploit customers as she revealed that most of them didn’t fix price tags on their products since late last year.”

The Hope went round some supermarkets along Oba-Adesida and Arakale roads including  Oja-Oba markets and observed that neither the products nor the shelves upon which the products were displayed had price tags. It was further observed that the confused shoppers, after searching for the price tags in vain, sought the help of the mall’s attendants who directed shoppers to checkouts to confirm the prices of items selected. Some of the customers who spoke with The Hope condemned the act of hiding price labels and called on relevant agencies to swing into actions.

A shopper and civil servant, Mr Jamiu Olaponle, who was not happy with the development hinted that the idea of hiding price tags was alien to supermarkets and should be condemned so as not to discourage buyers who are struggling to get essential needs. He said: “I was surprised when I could not find any price label on products, likewise other customers. It is as if supermarkets owners in the country held a meeting against fixing price tags on products because my family in Lagos and Ogun states were the first to inform me of the development aimed at exploiting buyers of their hard earned money. The only thing that differentiate supermarkets or grocery stores from open markets is the price tags on items, but now, that is no longer the case which expose consumers to all kinds of manipulations.

“I wonder why families who are struggling to buy essential staples needed for everyday survival should be faced with unstable prices in supermarkets and grocery stores, because the absence of price labels on products means the prices of goods are whatever the checkout employees say they are. That is quite unreasonable and  wickedness. Even if there are increase in prices, that is not enough reason to remove the price label since customers can walk away if they cannot afford it. I am appealing to  the Federal and State governments to address the issue.”

     Another buyer, Mrs Clara Amarachi, who also appealed to the authority concerned to wade into the situation lamented that the non-labelling of products affected her shopping. She said it would be difficult to abide by her shopping budget if prices were not attached to the products which could lead to overspending.

Her words: “Since  I do not know the prices of the stuff to pick, it will affect my budget. I can continue to pick everything that I want but by the time I reach where they (supermarket employees) will calculate them, I may have to drop some things because the money I want to spend is not enough. If I see the prices on the products, I will calculate them   as I am picking them. A customer who left now almost fought with the man at the checkout after being told the amount of his purchase. The idea of not labelling products at supermarkets will continue to lead to disagreement between the workers of the supermarket and buyers who were shocked at the increasingly unstable prices. Not putting price tags on products is an opportunity for the workers to add to the price since they will argue that the economy is bad and everything is increasing.”

Another customer, Mrs Joy Omobamidele, lamented how fluctuating prices and the absence of price tags had continued to affect her shopping. She said: “Most of the supermarkets I have been to recently in the state and outside the State don’t put price tags on products which should be rejected by all because it is an attempt to extort customers. I mean that it is now becoming frustrating to have a good shopping experience since one is no longer sure of the prices until you get to the check out. I entered the supermarket and most of the goods there did not have price tags. You do not know the price of what you want to buy until you are about to pay. The attendants can call whatever price and you can either pay it or leave.

“I want to stop patronizing supermarkets if I have my way, because I am pissed-off by this exploitative tendency of not labeling product prices. It is not an open market where you can price down whatever price given, couple with the economic situation, it is high time I forgot about going to any supermarket and look for alternatives. Everyone understand that prices of almost everything has changed due to the situation in the country but it is not enough reason for supermarkets owners to remove price tags. If the price tags are fixed, it will guide shoppers on what to buy based on their ability which will save one of the embarrassment of inability to pay at the checkout after selecting items,” she said.

A supervisor in one of the supermarkets in Akure who simply gave his name as Ayonitemi, blamed the practice on the current economic situation which affect prices. He said: “We all know that prices of products are not stable and labelling products with prices could cause distrust between customers because what you buy yesterday is different from what you will buy tomorrow. If this week I sell  a product N7000 and next week, I buy the same product for N10,000, do you expect me to sell it at N7000 that I sold the last time? That is why we cannot put price tags  because we cannot continue to change prices everyday because prices of goods are not stable. We can assure our customers that as soon as the economic  situation improved, definitely, price tags will be fixed on each products. We feel the pain most because most customers are not coming again due to increase in prices which is beyond our control. The amount we used before to buy 10 cartons of some products is what we are using to buy five or six now yet, we are not making gains compare to when it was cheaper but we buy them so that customers who can afford them will not be denied.”

On if customers are being short changed at the checkouts, he said that it was not possible to exploit our customers because we have other supermarkets around. He said: ” One thing you should understand is that customers have the idea of the price of whatever product they want to buy from other supermarkets, that is why I said earlier on that it is not possible to inflate your price because you are not the only one selling the product unless you want to discourage your customers from patronising you. Besides, at the checkout, the price is input in the system and customers get receipts of their payments immediately to prove that no customer is exploited,” he assured.

In the contribution of an economist, Mr Bunmi Oluniyo, explained that in as much as he is not supporting the idea of not fixing price tags on products at supermarkets, he did not want supermarket owners to run at a loss especially in an economic situation like ours. He said: “I agreed that the economic situation of the country might not allow the supermarkets to fix prices for their goods as it would be a difficult task to change price tags every time due to the unstable economy. That does not rule out the fact that some of them might want to catch on the economic situation to exploit unsuspecting consumers.

“The only solution is for the Consumer Protection Agency to step in and look at the areas where consumers are being exploited for possible action. Things are tough for an average citizens of this country going by the rising  cost of living, and it will be bad if anyone through any guise want to complicate the already tensed situation. In as much as I don’t want supermarket owners to close down, I don’t want shoppers to also be exploited. Government and Consumers Protection Agency should look into the situation for solutions,” he said.