Farmer Reto Meier lets customers decide how much they want to pay at the weekly market. Then the administrative police intervene.
At this vegetable stand the customer decides on the prices.
This summer, farmer Reto Meier started a social experiment at the Winterthur weekly market: He left out the prices at his vegetable stand; there were also no scales to be found anywhere. Customers determined the value of the tomatoes, eggplants, celery sticks, lettuce and beetroot themselves.
But the guessing game didn’t last long. After just three weeks, the Winterthur administrative police intervened, as the Tamedia newspapers reported. According to the national price disclosure regulations, products in Switzerland must have a price. This is also stated in the Winterthur market regulations.
This brought Meier’s experiment to an abrupt end. But what was he actually trying to achieve with it?
In recent years, discussions with customers about his prices have “motivated him to make changes,” says the farmer, who tends to move towards the higher end of the price range.
Reto Meier and his partner Eva Laportella run a vegetable garden in Wülflingen with Demeter certification according to permaculture principles. This type of agriculture aims to take care of the soil, avoid monocultures and create a natural habitat. It is more complex – and therefore more expensive – than traditional agriculture because pesticides are not used.
Everyone should have access to products
Even though he lives on the breadline, he often has concerns about charging too much, says Meier. By waiving the prices, everyone should have access to their products. That way, someone who has more can give more. So that someone who has less can give less. This business model depends on that, so that they can also make a living from it.
The couple also wanted to “sensitize” their customers. They should become aware of their consumption and learn to assess how much they really need.
“Consumers should be able to estimate how much certain products are worth to them,” says Eva Laportella. “We want to promote this awareness.” She believes that consumer behavior in general has become “unnatural.” “People often have no sense of proportion and no idea of the work that goes into certain products.”
During the experiment on the market, customers tended to pay too much, says Meier. But he does not know whether he made more profit than usual.
The Tamedia newspapers gave examples of how customers assessed the value of the vegetables. For example, one person paid twelve francs for nine tomatoes, noting that scales would be helpful. Another paid half of that for a single tomato. He based his price on that of another Demeter stand.
Some customers “overwhelmed”
The decision not to include a price tag was not well received by all customers. Some were “overwhelmed”, Meier noted. They wanted at least a guide price. Meier has now complied with this following the intervention of the administrative police.
Nevertheless, Meier is satisfied with his attempt. There were many discussions and it gave people food for thought. He received a lot of positive feedback.
Since Tuesday, customers at his vegetable stand have been able to rely on guide prices again, but the prices are still negotiable, as a sign says. Reto Meier wants to continue his social experiment, albeit with a light version.
