Supermarkets have cracked the code of modern retail: if you inflate your “normal” prices high enough, you can call anything a discount. All you need is a brightly coloured sticker, a scanner that logs every purchase you make, and a customer base too tired to argue because they’re just trying to buy pasta without taking out a second mortgage.
Welcome to the golden age of “loyalty” pricing.
Spoiler: the only loyalty here is the one consumers are forced into.
The Rise of the Fake “Normal Price”
The big chains have realised they don’t need to offer real bargains anymore. They just need to invent a baseline so ridiculous that the lower price looks merciful.
It’s not a deal. It’s psychological warfare with a barcode.
- Set the standard price sky-high.
- Slash it for loyalty members.
- Watch customers cheer because they’ve “saved” £1.50 on something that used to cost £1.50.
Genius. Annoying, manipulative genius.
Tesco Clubcard: The Glorious Father of Fictional Savings
Tesco’s Clubcard system is the reigning champion of “discount theatre.”
The routine goes something like this:
- Raise the price.
- Add a yellow Clubcard label.
- Call the undo button a “saving.”
It’s like being mugged and then thanked for your cooperation.
Morrisons More Card: Same Circus, Different Clowns
Morrisons saw the spotlight and sprinted into it with “More Card Prices”, essentially Clubcard but with more green branding and the same eyebrow-raising price jumps.
Sure, the regulator said most of the discounts are technically real. But that’s only because the supermarket gets to define what “real” even means. When you set both the price hike and the discount, the game is more rigged than a claw machine.
Privacy? That’ll Cost You.
Let’s be honest: calling these “loyalty rewards” is adorable.
You’re not getting a reward. You’re paying a privacy tax.
Give us your data, and we’ll let you buy cheese for a sane price. Don’t give us your data, and enjoy paying the “you must be new here” rate.
It’s price discrimination wearing a friendly lanyard.
Everyone’s Joined the Party
Once the big supermarkets realised how easy this was, the rest copied the homework:
- Sainsbury’s Nectar Prices
- Co-op Member Prices
- Boots Advantage Prices
- Superdrug Health & Beautycard
If the industry had any more herd mentality, it would moo.
The supposed “normal price” is now a mythical creature, like unicorns, dragons or reasonably-priced meal deals.
Regulators Say It’s Fine. That’s Nice.
Regulators checked the numbers and declared that the savings mostly look “genuine.” Of course they do, when the baseline is whatever the supermarket feels like printing on the shelf that morning.
It’s like grading your own homework. Shockingly, supermarkets gave themselves an A.
So, Are We Being Overcharged?
Short answer: obviously.
Long answer: If you don’t have a loyalty card, you’re paying extra for nothing except the privilege of not giving away your shopping habits like a digital confessional.
Even with a loyalty card, many of the “savings” are just a refund on a price hike that happened five minutes ago.
Supermarkets get your data. You get to feel grateful your groceries aren’t even more expensive. Everyone wins. Except you.
Final Thought
Loyalty schemes aren’t about rewarding customers. They’re about training them.
Smile, swipe, and say thank you, the algorithm is watching.