The new school term is now beginning. There is fierce competition between retailers, and advertisements are bombarding consumers about where to get school supplies most cheaply. For this reason, the Competition Authority encourages consumers to check prices and quality for themselves before making a purchase.
The scope of the price surveys on school supplies that have been published recently, in the opinion of the Competition Authority, do not justify the conclusions drawn from them and featured in current shop advertisements. It is therefore misleading to generalise about a shop's pricing based on only a few product types.
The Competition Authority therefore urges consumers to check the prices of school supplies carefully before making a purchase. It should be borne in mind that in some cases, larger pack sizes must be bought to get the price advertised as the lowest. In addition, the quality of products can vary greatly.
In 2000, the Competition Council approved guidelines on price surveys for public publication, with the aim of ensuring that the conduct and publication of price surveys are in accordance with good business practices. Particular emphasis is placed on ensuring that price surveys provide the most comprehensive picture of the market and that the scope of the surveys is sufficient to justify the conclusions drawn from them.
The Competition Authority will shortly review advertisements for school supplies.
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