To wonder if anybody ever buys the smaller, dearer ones

[WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]

Asda in particular, but they're probably not the only ones, seem to have permanent offers/rollbacks etc on certain lines - but only on one size of exactly the same product. This means that you can usually buy a bigger pack (often twice the size or thereabouts) for less money than the smaller one. I don't mean less money per 100g/ml etc - charging 60p for 100g or £1 for 200g makes commercial sense to me - I mean the price for the whole of the bigger one is actually less than the price for the whole of the smaller one (or the converse, whereby you're quite considerably penalised if you bulk buy and get a bigger one rather than 2 or even 3 of the half-sized ones).

What is the sense of this? Does anybody actually buy the smaller ones? Are they effectively carrying a whole shelf of dead, unsellable stock (unless the big ones have all sold out and people don't feel swizzed enough to deliberately not buy the small one on principle)? Don't the supermarkets notice that they haven't sold any and wonder why people seem to love Big X but hate Small X?

And on a similar note, you sometimes see big brands on promotion meaning that they're the same price (or a penny or two cheaper or dearer) as the own-brand versions. Do people still buy the own-brands when this is the case? Again, are they giving valuable shelf space to a line that will most probably not sell for as long as the branded promotion is on?

Am I the only one baffled by these admittedly non-earth-shattering phenomena?

I’m lost, what products are you talking about?

I always check but I guess some people who always get the same product would buy the smaller dearer one.

Like getting a big pack of KitKats for cheaper than a little one 😁

I also buy the brand if cheaper than own brand unless I've tried them both and prefer the own brand 😁

somepeople do not btoher to check the price per kilo/litre bit. ex for example. so yes he would buy the more expensive one.

Ive noticed this alot with cereal. I guess its people picking it up without paying attention.

YANBU. The other one that puzzles me is where there is a multibuy offer where buying 2 (or however many the offer is for) is no cheaper with the offer. Sometimes it even costs more... 98p each, 'Buy 2 for £2'. Why?

I bought a smaller fabric conditioner recently. Half the size of the bigger bottle and exactly the same price.

But the small bottle fits in my laundry shizz box whereas I can't put the lid on the box with a bigger bottle, and I only use fabric conditioner for fleece items because I bloody hate the slimy feel and lack of absorbancy it gives everything else. So I was happy to pay 'extra' for the smaller bottle.

@Cat2lady - As Emma said, it seems to be especially chocolate-based goods - KitKats, Jaffa Cakes, Nesquik, although I did buy two small Asda own-brand super-light mayo bottles today when I saw that choosing the bigger one would have been the equivalent of getting 2 for the price of 3!

Colour catchers and firelighters I've noticed.

I will do this occasionally on perishable items as I'd rather not through them out before using it all.

@Haffiana - That sort of makes sense to me, although I'm tight so I'd likely buy just one of the smaller ones to start with, keep it, and then buy bigger ones to store in the shed and decant from

Although I have been known to go for a smaller-sized pack of sugar or detergent etc. when the bigger one is heavy and unwieldy and the smaller one is only a penny or two more per kg.

Obviously, yes, people do.

When I shared a house, I bought the sizes of products that fit onto a single shelf in the fridge/ a small cupboard. There is no point buying a nice three litre carton of milk if you can't chill it when you get home.

If you struggle for money, you often end up paying more because you can only afford the smaller amount, not the larger amount that is better value. That's obvious.

I'm not sure what products you're talking about, but those two reasons seem pretty obvious to me.

@Howhot - Perishable items, I can understand, although it would still stick in the craw with me if you could effectively have twice as much for no extra cost and give it to a friend.

It's to compete with Pound shops I think. You're right OP, the sizes are titchy. Last week at the entrance to Tesco's they had boxes of Coco Pops and Rice Krispies, 2 for £2. Seemed like a bargain, but the boxes were barely bigger than the Kellogg's selection packs. There were several deals like this, all £1 or £2. However, none were on display in the 'correct' aisle eg cereal aisle, but better cost per weight deals were.

They're attention grabbers as you walk in, and it seems to work!

Some smaller packs are good for travel, or to take to work. Stupid plane rules and their limit to 100ml or less mean that there is a market for a range of small items.

I rarely buy laundry and dishwasher products for full price these days, there's always some promotion going on to the point that, if I'm not careful, I end up hoarding them.

LRDtheFeministDragon - I take your point with chilled items, although I've never seen a 3-litre milk carton the exact same price as a 2-litre one, even though they do work out proportionately cheaper if you have a big enough fridge.

If you struggle for money, you often end up paying more because you can only afford the smaller amount, not the larger amount that is better value. That's obvious.

It is indeed, and I think it's absolutely disgusting that the poorest people in society who can't afford to bulk buy end up paying more than the better-off. And don't get me started on very-low-income households that who are forced to have rip-off pre-pay energy meters....

But I'm not talking about proportionately cheaper items - I'm talking about a choice of either 8 KitKats for £1 or 16 KitKats for £1; a single pack of McVities jaffa cakes for £1 or a double pack of McVities jaffa cakes for £1.

I work in a supermarket and yes people often do just grab the item and size they always buy also spend alot of time complainkng theres nofgood deals shopping never goes down in price etc
Without being the annoying shop assistant i do often point out a better offer to people who are 9/10 really grateful and didn’t even realise there was a better deal.
I love a offer so am always looking for a deal but understandably there are time when people are in a rush and need to just grab and go.
Crisps drive me insane its over 60p for single packets... people will grab say 5 packs of say salt and vinegar for Packed lunches so £3 ish when the multipacks often £1. I know single packs r slightly biggee but for the sake of £2 amd how much airs in the packet i know what id rather buy x

Ps excuse typos using my dodgy phone and didnt check over post...

DH will buy the smaller one on food items, because it might go off otherwise and he hates waste, he completely fails to realise we have a teen and an almost teen, if it is in the cupboard they will eat it within hours of me putting it there, sometimes these things don't even get to the cupboard!

Totally get what you mean about things like jaffa cakes people will still often just buy the single pack even though doubles sams price....

stripyhorse i think when its 98p or 2 for £2 its often because you can mix and match it with a few different items and those might cost £1.35 for example so adding that to the 98p would be better at £2.
But you wont be charged £2 if you buy 2 98p items..
I think they should just scrap all the confusing offers and make everything cheaper in general I reckon theu do it so you spend so long in the shop your hungry and buy more than you meant to....

@Betsy86 - YY, I've often thought that, although I suppose the idea of impulse buys near the tills is to charge people a premium for convenience. Mars Bars or Snickers 60p each, right there to grab, and they buy a couple, to so they pretend to themselves keep one for another day, or maybe get one for their DP. If they knew about it and had the time to go to the back of the shop (and potentially lose their place in the queue), they could have 4 for £1.

I do buy smaller packs of chocolate

I have learned my lesson if I buy lots, with the intention of making it last. I will in fact scoff the lot. In minutes.

If I buy crisps, I eat crisps. So I'll buy the smaller pack so I can't eat all the larger pack in one go.

I do. When I went for a small bar of Galaxy, the woman was nonplussed that I didn't want the mahoosive bar for a pound when the little one was 70p.

I said "If I buy it, I'll eat it all."

That's how people get fat.