This text is taken from Courrier de l’économie. Click here to subscribe.
Are $0.99 per pound tomatoes cheaper than $2.18 per kilogram? A significant portion of consumers feel so, even though it is actually the same price. This is at least the observation of researchers from Concordia University who have studied a phenomenon unique to Canada.
When flipping through a flyer, there is a good chance that bulk food prices will be displayed in pounds in large print. To know the price per kilogram, however, you will have to take out your glasses. A trip to the grocery store shows that the imperial unit of measurement also dominates the metric system. However, it is the metric system that is officially in force in Canada. On your invoice, the price per kilo is indicated.
This practice is not surprising, because it would encourage people to buy more of these products, according to Mrugank Thakor, professor in the Department of Marketing at Concordia University and co-author of the article. The researcher and his team conducted a series of experiments with groups of dozens of people, and thus demonstrated that consumers perceive advertised prices in pounds, whose figures are lower, as being cheaper. This perception greatly influences their choices, especially in these times of inflation.
According to Maryse Côté-Hamel, professor at the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences at Laval University, this approach has undeniable advantages in terms of marketing for grocery stores. But she also believes that the pound is better understood by many Quebecers. This unit would also be closer to the quantity that the latter will buy. “The price in kilograms can be scary,” she acknowledges.
A health strategy
For his part, Mr. Thakor believes that this practice can encourage customers to buy more fruits and vegetables, which are good for health.
But the produce aisle can be quite stressful for the consumer on a tight budget. Indeed, it is difficult to have a clear idea of what our bill will be when you are not strong in mental calculation or do not know the weight of a banana. One is then likely to take the leap when one arrives at the checkout. So that this uncertainty does not encourage consumers to abandon fresh products, Mme Côté-Hamel believes that it would be appropriate to reintroduce self-service scales in many businesses.
To make informed choices, you also need to be able to compare different products. However, grocery stores choose the unit of measurement that benefits them. Sometimes it is by the unit, by the bag, by the basket or by the package of various sizes. Other times it’s by weight. In order to remedy the situation, Option consommateurs has repeatedly pleaded for an indication of the price per 100 g or 100 ml to be found on all products.
Mme Côté-Hamel suggests that everyone, to avoid being tricked, pay particular attention to the price generally paid for their favorite foods. It is thus easier, while shopping, to determine whether the price offered is advantageous or not.