Shoppers struggle to understand savings from promotions at Coop Extra in Oslo

Outside Coop Extra in Oslo, many customers find it hard to understand how much they actually save by taking advantage of store promotions. One shopper, Hege, notes, “I try to check if I can find previous prices, but otherwise, it’s easy to get caught up in such deals.”

Numerous customers describe these promotions as somewhat confusing. Another passerby remarks that while they need food, keeping track of the offers is almost impossible. This situation raises the question: How much do shoppers really save with deals like “3 for the price of 2” on dental care products or a 20% discount on coffee?

These pricing strategies are known as relative prices, which refer to offers where the actual price isn’t disclosed until customers are in-store. Instead of advertising fixed prices, promotions emphasize percentage savings or the number of items paid for, making such offers widespread in Norwegian grocery stores. This method has become more common than the fixed-price promotions that were dominant before, as noted by Claus Nykjær, who tracks these trends in the Nordic market.

Despite being prevalent in Norway, relative pricing is less frequently seen in Denmark and Sweden. Nykjær suggests that this trend has developed significantly over the past two to three years, with Norwegian customers becoming more price-sensitive amidst rising inflation since 2022.

Moreover, experts express concerns that shoppers may make poor choices under these marketing tactics, as many do not pause to calculate the actual value. As Norwegian grocery stores adapt to these changes, shoppers may face increasing variations in prices and promotions, especially after recent regulations impacting price-checking practices among retailers.