This is the con pack of the month.
The content decreases, the price remains the same, that's called a "cheat package". But it can also be different: If the price drops and the content is no longer the same. What this is about, reveals the Consumer Advice Center Hamburg.
This month, the "Ja! Syrup Orange" from Rewe and the "Beverage Syrup Orange" from Penny have been awarded the title "Cheat Package of the Month" by the Consumer Advice Center Hamburg (VZHH).
The two orange-flavored syrup varieties from Rewe and Penny are identical in composition, only the packaging of the bottles differs slightly. The syrup is supposed to be diluted with sparkling water to make a finished drink. It cannot be consumed undiluted. Previously, 500 ml of the concentrate cost 2.79 euros at both Rewe and Penny. The price has now been reduced to 1.49 euros.
A real bargain, especially since the fill amount has remained the same? Not at all. While the fill amounts remain the same, the selling price has been significantly reduced, but overall, both syrup varieties are 28 percent more expensive. Whereas previously, one bottle was enough for twelve liters of refreshing drink, now only five liters can be made per bottle. This is because the fruit content in the syrup is now only 28 percent. Previously, it was much more fruit-rich at 60 percent. Apart from that, the ingredients remain exactly the same, but there is now significantly more water in the new variants of the syrup.
Perfectly disguised marketing trick by Rewe
The nutritional values of the finished drink hardly change due to the different dilution, so that despite the reduction in the selling price, the finished refreshing drink is significantly more expensive. The VZHH considers this to be a perfectly disguised marketing trick by Rewe, which also affects other varieties such as cola or lemon.
Rewe justified this on request from consumer protectionists with a change of supplier. In its own words, the retail corporation stated: "The background is a change of supplier, which was accompanied by a complete recipe change. The fruit content has remained comparable for the mixed drink. Parallel to the change in the recipe, we have reduced the selling price from 2.79 euros to 1.49 euros." However, the fact that the finished drink has become significantly more expensive remained unmentioned. From the point of view of the VZHH, this explanation is a cheap excuse instead of clear language about the hidden price increase.
Consumers often have to be annoyed by hidden price increases. Provided they discover them. The VZHH offers the possibility to make products, with which customers are thus (less content at the same price) deceived, public. It makes these products public and awards them as the cheat package of the month and of the year.
The Consumer Advice Center Hamburg (VZHH) has pointed out that while the price of the "Ja! Syrup Orange" from Rewe and the "Beverage Syrup Orange" from Penny has been reduced, the fruit content has also decreased. As a result, these syrup varieties are now 28% more expensive when diluted, even though they only produce half as much refreshing drink as before.
Another example of a hidden price increase is the change in recipe and supplier for the cola and lemon syrup varieties, which also resulted in a decrease in fruit content and an increase in price, although Rewe has not publicly acknowledged this.
