Retailers must use clear price labels on shelves

There has been a noteworthy omission in the discussion to date surrounding the effectiveness of the Nutrition North Canada program.

The program’s “chain of accountability” will only be as effective as its weakest link. If retailers persist in refusing or neglecting to label prices on the shelf, any potential for product pricing integrity will only continue to erode.

The consumers’ right to vote with their wallet is thwarted when they must blindly place items in their shopping cart with no idea of their price.

Some individual Nunavut stores may be better than others at pricing items at the shelf, but it seems sadly acceptable for retailers to remain grossly negligent in this critical link to maintain integrity, transparency, and accountability in product pricing to their high-paying captive market consumers.

At the point of cashier checkout, most customers will choose to not inconvenience their neighbors in line behind them or the hard working cashier staff to request a price check.

Price checks usually take considerable time, can require a floor runner‚ to run back to the shelf and back while everyone waits, and they are a very ineffective system for customer service.

Why must consumers so obsessively watch the cash register item prices like a mistrustful hawk when they should be able to make an informed purchase decision before they place an item in their shopping basket?

Many customers may think it inconsiderate or rude to have to finalize their purchase decision at the checkout and say “no cancel these items‚” and leave them to be re-stocked while the line-up of fellow community members behind watches and wonders what’s taking so long.

In conclusion, negligence of pricing and labeling, which is reinforced by additional retail profits should not be part of the equation in a taxpayer subsidized food delivery program.

(Name withheld by request)
Iqaluit

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