Praneeta Prakash 
Recent surveillance across multiple supermarkets has revealed a worrying trend where items displayed with discounted or promotional prices on shelves are frequently scanned at higher, original prices at checkout.
Consumer Council of Fiji Chief Executive Seema Shandil says this mismatch is particularly common with products nearing expiry, fresh fruits and vegetables, and promotional items.
Shandil says shoppers who fail to check their receipts risk paying more than expected, losing the savings advertised on shelves.
“While consumers are ready to pay the price clearly displayed on the shelf, retailers should also be fully aware of their responsibility to ensure pricing accuracy, especially during peak festive shopping periods. The recurring mismatch between shelf prices and checkout prices cannot simply be dismissed as mistakes. The pattern we are observing raises concerns that these practices may be deliberate, and this is deeply unacceptable.”
Shandil says in many cases, cashiers are required to manually override the system to apply the correct price.
She says while some retailers may attribute these discrepancies to human error, the Consumer Council notes that the repeated and widespread nature of these mismatches raises serious questions about whether these practices are deliberate.
Shandil is urging shoppers to always check receipts before leaving the store, especially during peak festive shopping periods.
She says even small differences can add up, resulting in significant losses for families purchasing multiple items.
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