Council rolls out bi-weekly price survey to counter inflation -
Mongkok (June 18, 2008)
PDF version
Highlights of the latest bi-weekly price
survey, released today (June 18) and conducted on a basket of 15
commodities at 19 different retail outlets in the Mongkok district
include:
The items were found with price
differences ranging from 7.9% to 65.6%. But the price difference of
one item, a food sauce Coconut Milk (Made in Thailand) 400ml priced
from $6.9 to $16.9, amounted to a vast 144.9%.
Price differences of over 50% were
recorded in 4 other food and beverage items.
They were: a canned food Spiced Pork
Cubes 142g priced from $9 to $14.9, (a difference of $5.9 or
65.6%); a frozen food Ham Slices 200g from $12 to $18.9 ($6.9 or
57.5%); a fruit beverage Orange Juice 180ml from $2.5 to 3.9 ($1.4
or 56%); and a snack Maipen Rice Crackers Spicy, from $4.9 to $7.5
($2.6 or 53.1%).
The highest prices of these 5 items
were all found at outlets of major supermarket chains, which
accounted also for the highest prices for 4 other food and beverage
items.
For the 5 non-food items, the extent
of price differences was comparatively smaller ranging from 10%
(Dandruff Control 2-in-1 Shampoo 1000ml from $50 to $55) to 40.4%
(Furniture Polish Lemon 330ml from $27 to $37.9).
In this category of products, the
major supermarket chains appeared to fare marginally better - 2 out
of the 5 items were sold at prices higher than the other types of
outlets. The other 3 items had higher prices found at
smaller/independent retail outlets and drugstores.
The latest survey found many of the
15 items were sold in bulk of 2 to 4 pieces with a price discount.
For instance, the Coconut Milk food sauce which sold at $16.9 per
can would drop in overall price to $11.3 each if a purchaser bought
two at the same time (because of the buy-two-get-one free
discount).
Results of the bi-weekly price survey
are available for reference of consumers at the Council's website
www.consumer.org.hk/pricewatch
, its Consumer Advice Centres as well as the Public Enquiry Service
Centre of Mongkok District Office.
Price comparison report (Chinese only)
:
Microsoft Excel format/
PDF format
Issued by
Consumer Council
18 June 2008
