Woolworths shopper slams supermarket for outrageous mask price
A Woolworths shopper has slammed the supermarket over the price of a box of face masks, saying they should be “named and shamed” for the expensive price tag.
But Woolworths has responded saying they are currently in the process of amending a pricing error.
Brisbane shopper Keane said he spotted the 50 pack of face masks for $63.25 at the Woolworths Metro in Tank Street, Brisbane City
He told Yahoo News Australia he was ‘shocked’ when he read the price tag on the box displayed in the store’s cafe.
“I saw that price on it and I thought sh**, that’s expensive,” he said.
“I was just so shocked - I was like what the hell are you serious?
“Like this is the type of thing they want to pull in this day and age when everyone needs a mask.”
Keane said that while he did appreciate the price is for a full box of 50 masks, he said the retail giant was selling them for six times the price of other stores.
“I do understand there are 50 masks, but you can get these for $10 elsewhere, it’s just stupid,” he said.
“‘It was so disappointing to see a multi-national company take advantage of the situation.”
Keane approached the retail giant about the hefty price tag both publicly and privately on the Woolworths Facebook page. They responded by saying they would “bring this to the immediate awareness of our management team”.
Woolworths responds to pricing error
A Woolworths spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia the hefty cost was due to a pricing error made at some Metro stores, where the item had reverted back to having an old price tag.
“We’re aware of a pricing error on packs of Softmed disposable masks being sold in a handful of our Metro stores,” a Woolworths spokesperson said.
“We’ve notified our teams who are currently taking steps to have this rectified urgently.”
Woolworths encouraged customers who may have purchased the Softmed 50 pack of facemasks from a Woolworths Metro store, to return it for a refund of the price difference.
The price of the box of face masks, which should cost $27.50, was not affected in Woolworths supermarket stores.
Shoppers weigh in on face mask price hikes
While the Woolworths Metro store price was made in error, other shoppers have taken to Keane’s Facebook post to weighed in on the price of facemasks.
“Wow! $19.99 at Chemist Warehouse (pk of 50),” a fellow shopper said.
“They were half price at my local store,” another person wrote.
Others pointed out that they had seen face masks for even more elsewhere.
“$1.26 per mask pretty cheap considering I've seen some places selling a 5 pack for $10 to $15,” one person said.
“At Capital Chemist they were selling masks for $6 each!!!” Another person commented.
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