Prizes For Shoppers

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31318, 14 March 1967, Page 16

Prizes For Shoppers

Sir,—ln reply to “Consumer,” the manager of Foodstuffs, Ltd., said that the competition being run by his group did not increase the price of groceries and that the cost of the prizes was met

by the grocers. That may be so. The usual price for the eight items connected with the competition last week is £1 Is Bd. If bought last week they would have been 4s 8d less, a saving of over 20 per cent. Over the six weeks of the competition, 48 items will be cut in price. Total the loss in profit, the cost of prizes, advertising, extra staff checking cards, wrapping, and mailing the prizes. To this total add the copyrights or royalties of this game competition and this huge amount must be recovered in the selling price of the remaining items sold by grocers.— Yours, etc., ANOTHER CONSUMER. March 11, 1967.

Sir, —Mr Thomas, in his reply as to who pays, talks about the cost being shared between promoters and sponsors and the grocers themselves. Bless them all! If he were to have said “initially by the manufacturers, the wholesalers, and the grocers, but ultimately in full by the customer,” he would have rung the bell. No, these hardheaded businessmen are not altruists giving away something for nothing, and we do not expect them to be in the game for fun. Make no mistake, the customer pays, regardless of Mr Thomas’s protestations to the contrary. Costings and profits make sure of this. Consumer resistance is growing fast and we can be thankful for the creation of C.A.R.P.—Your, etc., CAMPAIGN AGAINST RACKETS. March 13, 1967.