Sweet Madness.

Published on 23 October 2002 in

Depending on where you live in the UK, you may find prices different between different branches of the same shop. A pack of pasta may cost 5p more in Basingstoke than in Bradford – that kind of thing.

Local competition, average wages and transportation costs are all factors. However in the same street you won’t notice much difference. Normally.

Near where I work is a newsagents called Metro Central. The same company owns a branch on the same road, a mere four minutes walk away, and many more besides, but they need not concern us.

At the branch nearest work, a pack of Trebor’s refreshingly fizzy Refreshers costs 30p.

Four minutes walk away on the same side of the road, and in the other branch of the same company, they try and charged me 40p this evening.

I politely put them back.

Now I could afford the extra 10p but an increase in price of 33% for walking down the road for four minutes seemed a bit mad, especially when its an increase being offered by a company who also sells the same sweets nearer to work, for 10p less.

Some people would just have paid. Some days, I would just have paid. But not today, when it just seemed too silly to actual believe they were serious. I know where I’ll be buying my Refreshers from in the future.