The Consumer Council opposes, while “Gjerrigknarken” wants more of Coop and Rema’s 3-for-2 offer.
Last Saturday, Nettavisen wrote that the state The Consumer Council believes “3 for 2” campaigns are problematic, because many people buy more than they need, which in turn results in more food waste. Several reacted to this, which is clear in the comments field on Facebook.
“I think it’s great with 3-for-2 offers and such … I do not feel exactly pressured to choose it either”, writes one.
Several others also write that they have not felt pressured by such offers, and some would like to buy several items at the same time and rather freeze them. Rune Nikolaisen, who is behind Gjerrigknark.com, also points this out to Nettavisen.
– For many, such offers will pay off. If you have a large family, have planned something bigger or have plenty of space in the freezer, you will save on that, he says.
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Want more of “3 for 2”
Nikolaisen himself has seen that there is a lot of focus on 3-for-2 offers at several chains now, and it is mostly barbecue food that goes into it.
– I would like to see more of “3 for 2” on other products, because it is not a bad idea to run such offers, he says.
At the same time, he can understand the psychological thing about it, that you can be fooled into buying more than you need, as the Consumer Council pointed out.
– You must have a plan when shopping, and not just be lured by the fact that the price is cheaper if you buy three items. If you have discipline, it’s fine, he says.
He understands that some people would rather have low prices on the goods if you buy them individually, but believes there should be something for everyone.
– To have to ban “3 for 2” is just hesitant. You just have to be careful not to be fooled, he says.
– Saves between 5-30 percent
Harald Kristiansen, communications manager at Coop Norge, says that they are aware of finding campaigns that do not contribute to increased food waste, but rather help customers save money.
– Is the Consumer Council’s criticism of the quantity campaigns a warning that the organization is losing its role as the grocery customers’ watchdog? Our customers love such discounts where they save between 5-30 percent, he says to Nettavisen.
– We combine goods through picking and mixing, which gives customers the opportunity to pick an entire dinner solution through “3 for 2”, Kristiansen points out.
He believes that offers such as “3 for 2” have resulted in satisfied customers, which in turn has contributed to Extra being Norway’s fastest growing grocery chain.
– Another confirmation in the Norwegian Customer Barometer, where the Extra chain has the greatest progress among the low-price chains in measuring customer satisfaction (Extra: +1.7 points, Rema: +0.9 points, Kiwi: -1.5 points), says Kristiansen.
Believes Kiwi copies the prices
Kristiansen points out that when they buy goods in large quantities for, for example, the 3-for-2 campaigns, they get discounts from the suppliers which are passed on to the customers.
– When we run this type of quantity campaigns, the prices are usually copied by Kiwi. Thus, we contribute to a lower price level for groceries, says Kristiansen.
Director Inger Lise Blyverket in the Consumer Council stated to Nettavisen last week that Rema and Coop should look to Kiwi to understand why they leave them in the competition for customers.
Kiwi does not have 3-for-2 campaigns, while Rema and Coop have it on a regular basis. However, it also has Meny, which, like Kiwi, is owned by Norgesgruppen, Norway’s largest grocery group.
Also read: PR expert believes the low-price chains are on a wild goose chase
– Unfortunate from a health perspective
Kristine Aakvaag Arvin, communications manager at Kiwi, responds to Kristiansen’s statement that Kiwi usually copies the prices when Coop runs quantity campaigns.
– Kiwi is the price squeezer in the grocery market. We push prices every single day, and in addition follow the competitors’ campaigns to ensure that we are always the cheapest, she says to Nettavisen.
She also explains that they do not want customers to have to buy more than they need to get a good price, and therefore the chain does not have 3-for-2 promotions.
– We have not had such campaigns before, and in 2014 we took a clear stand with the campaign “Buy 1, pay for 1”, says Arvin, and adds:
– Health for the people is Kiwi’s heart issue, and from a health perspective we think it’s unfortunate if you have to buy two or five large chocolate bars to get it cheap.
Also read: Customers with Apple Pay miss out on bonuses at Kiwi and Meny: – We are of course looking at it
Therefore, Kiwi chooses to reduce the unit price accordingly, so the customer can choose how many he or she needs.
Arvin also points out that Kiwi works to reduce food waste, and since 2015 they have reduced their own food waste by 45 percent.
– Better with a 30 percent discount on one product
Inger Lise Blyverket, director of the Consumer Council, says that they believe this matter is very simple in the eyes of the Consumer Council: Consumers should not pay more for food than they have to.
– When customers are forced to buy more than they need, and are dependent on a freezer to store food, the responsibility is shifted to the consumer, she tells Nettavisen.
She says that the Consumer Council is for cheaper food, but grocery stores should take responsibility for ensuring a lower price, not the consumer.
– It must be a paradox for the Extra chain that they implicitly require that their customers must have a freezer in order to take part in the offers they have, says Blyverket, and points out:
– We believe it is better for the consumer that you get a 30 percent discount on a single product than that you have to buy wood to get this discount.
At the same time, the chains contribute to reducing food waste, according to Blyverket.
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