Consumers have been feeling the pinch as a result of the recession. However, the Consumer Affairs Commission has reported that merchants have been dropping prices in response to their consumer alerts. - file

THE CONSUMER Affairs Commission's (CAC) publication of comparative prices is proving to be a godsend to consumers across the island, as many persons have been making shopping decisions based on the published prices.

An initiative of Karl Samuda, minister of industry, investment and commerce, the move was designed to encourage merchants to lower prices while promoting comparative shopping among consumers.

And, it has been doing just that.

Guided by this data, consumers are ostensibly living by the adage "every mickle mek a muckle" as they seek to make wise decisions on how they spend their shrinking disposable income in a time of tight financial squeeze.

The Consumer Alert grocery publications highlight the prices of basic food and household items, including staples, tinned protein and toiletries.

For each item published, the highest price in the particular parish is highlighted in red, while the lowest price in the parish is highlighted in green.

Consumers wiser

Angella Smith of the CAC told The Gleaner that the commission's survey officers have reported that low-price outlets are experiencing increased patronage, while merchants with higher prices are lamenting.

"Over the last 12 months, the CAC has observed commendable changes in the prices of certain basic food items, which can be attributed to the publications," Smith claimed in an email response to questions from The Gleaner.

She also pointed out that the commission has received numerous calls and emails from members of the public, stating that the information provided has been helpful in making their purchasing decisions.

"There were outlets that had the highest prices when they were first published, which subsequently lowered their prices after a few publications. Many of these outlets now have the lowest prices for most items," Smith said.

In some instances, the CAC found that prices have been converging around the lowest price. "This could attest to the fact that although some merchants did not display the lowest price for a particular item, they have made an effort to set their price as close as possible to the lowest price observed," noted Smith.

While shoppers flocked to food stores with the lowest prices, the commission revealed that motorists have been rushing service stations with the lowest prices following the publication of petrol prices.

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com