An in-store ticketing error is to blame after chicken was put 'on special' for 12 cents less at a Wellington Countdown.
The 12-cent saving on a large pack of boneless, skinless chicken breast could be found at Newtown Countdown. A photo posted to Vic Deals, a community page on Facebook, showed stickers advertising a 'special' on two of the discounted products - one said the meat was reduced from $12.64 to $12.52, and another from $11.63 to $11.52.
But the reduced costs, which prompted amusement on Facebook, are down to a store error, says Countdown.
"We have had a look into this and unfortunately this is a mistake with in-store ticketing," a Countdown spokesperson told Newshub.
They explained the original price of one packet of chicken had been reduced from $14.94 to $12.64. A further reduction was then added to the product, bringing the price down by a further 12 cents - however, the yellow 'special' sticker added in-store stated the chicken had been initially priced at $12.64.
"We always aim to ensure that our prices are clear, accurate, and unambiguous for our customers," the spokesperson said.
"We have a number of processes to help with this, but occasionally mistakes like this happen. We are very sorry about this and any inconvenience it has caused."
Management has alerted the Newtown store to the mistake, they added.
Many Facebook users found the supposed special hilarious.
"For the students! Huge savings on chicken down at the Newtown Countdown," one wrote.
"What a joke," said another.
"Better get in quick," a third wrote sarcastically.
Consumer New Zealand spokesperson Gemma Rasmussen told Newshub retailers know shoppers are more likely to buy items if they believe they're getting a discount - however, in this case, a 12-cent saving was "not warranted".
"A discount of 11-12 cents hardly constitutes major savings and Consumer NZ thinks that in this instance the 'special' sticker is not warranted. It may influence shoppers to think that they're getting a better bargain than they actually are," she said.
"Our research found that 60 percent of New Zealanders strongly agreed they were more likely to buy a product if it was on special and assumed it would offer better value for money."
Rasmussen added many shoppers are now wary of excessive supermarket specials, with nearly three in four Kiwis believing specials are now so common they're unsure if the savings are genuine.
