Anyone who reads my posts from time to time will know that I am particularly sensitive to the issue of transparency. With this in mind, I would like to share a shopping episode here for which Migros once again deserves a big cactus in my view. Last Thursday, a piece of Emmi Luzerner Rahmkäse from the shelf, according to the label 214 grams at a price per kilo of CHF 29.50, item price CHF 6.30. On the receipt, the item appears as 210 grams at a price per kilo of CHF 30.00 (corresponds to the online price information). This also results in a price of CHF 6.30, but the information does not match the label. However, this alone would not have prompted me to write a post, if only because I would not normally have noticed the discrepancy. But now the Lucerne was on promotion at the end of the week, according to the advertising at CHF 23.50 instead of CHF 29.50/kg (which in turn does not match either the receipt or the online information). This also corresponded to the electronic and - as is usual with promotional items - red price label on the shelf. Even this deviation from my purchase would most likely have gone unnoticed had I not become suspicious the following day in another store. There I noticed that the reduced-price cheese on offer in the freezer cabinet had a yellow promotional strip on it, which was missing in my case. A check at home revealed that I had actually been charged the regular price. It cannot be ruled out or even probable that the freezer in the first store would also have had specially marked promotional cheese. However, it is simply unacceptable for goods to be offered at the regular price on the shelf next door at the same time, especially as the price tag correctly displayed the promotional price, as mentioned above. Incidentally, I "grabbed" the very last piece, which suggests that even more customers were cheated out of the supposed promotional advantage. The price difference of just under CHF 1.30 is too small for me to make a complaint in the store, especially as I have already cut into the cheese. In any case, I think that the obvious problem should be of less interest to the store's customer service team and more to Migros Aare's central process and quality management team!
All replies (3)
This has already happened to me, it was a promotion where you were supposed to get 2 pieces at a special price. It was also marked as such on the rack from which I took the two pieces. At the checkout, it wasn't a promotion because only the packs taped together with plastic were a promotion (!) These were somewhere in the store, I hadn't seen them although I had looked carefully for the product. The product was then replaced by a member of staff - problem solved, except that I took some more unnecessary sticky plastic home with me. 🙄 The problem is that at Migros the promotions are presented separately, while the product remains in its regular place. If you hunt for promotions, you are well served by this system and go straight to the relevant corner. But if - like me - you want your standard product at a promotional price, you go to the usual presentation area. Migros' mistake: the promotion is marked at the usual presentation location - but not offered! And not even pointed out! This is easier for the staff (present the promotion, take it down after a week - no attention/concentration required) but could come across as unfair. In other stores (e.g. Coop) it's different: the product is always in the same place, this week's promotion, next week's not.
This has already happened to me, it was a promotion where you were supposed to get 2 pieces at a special price. It was also marked as such on the rack from which I took the two pieces. At the checkout, it wasn't a promotion because only the packs taped together with plastic were a promotion (!) These were somewhere in the store, I hadn't seen them although I had looked carefully for the product. The product was then replaced by a member of staff - problem solved, except that I took some more unnecessary sticky plastic home with me. 🙄 The problem is that at Migros the promotions are presented separately, while the product remains in its regular place. If you hunt for promotions, you are well served by this system and go straight to the relevant corner. But if - like me - you want your standard product at a promotional price, you go to the usual presentation area. Migros' mistake: the promotion is marked at the usual presentation location - but not offered! And not even pointed out! This is easier for the staff (present the promotion, take it down after a week - no attention/concentration required) but could come across as unfair. In other stores (e.g. Coop) it's different: the product is always in the same place, this week's promotion, next week's not.
However, the multiple packs on offer are a different matter. The fact that they are reduced in price while the individual product costs the regular price is absolutely normal and not just the case at Migros. Personally, I have always been used to this and can easily accept it. I have also noticed that Coop puts multiple packs on sale separately. There are regularly 5 x ready-made rösti or 4 x Barilla pasta on offer, far away from the corresponding shelf where only single packs can be found. My case, on the other hand, is quite different.
Hello Garraty, thank you for your detailed feedback. I fully understand your concerns. Enclosed is the statement from our specialist department: Unfortunately, in the case of weighed goods in the cheese range, it is actually the case that production prints the price, including the promotional prices, directly on the product. It is therefore unfortunate that a Lucerne cream cheese that was not on promotion has been included here among the promotional goods. As we cannot control the price in this case via the checkout, the regular price was still charged here. Promotional goods are always easily recognizable by the fact that "Aktion" or "Action" is printed on the layout. Normally in orange, but as Luzerner Rahmkäse is not a Migros product, here in yellow. We will contact you privately about this. Best regards, Alex