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, its Consumer Advice Centres as well as the Public Enquiry Service Centre of Mongkok District Office.