Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has concluded its investigation into supermarket loyalty schemes, finding little evidence that retailers inflate regular prices to artificially inflate the perceived value of loyalty promotions, Bloomberg reports.
In a statement released Wednesday, the CMA declared that its review of some 50,000 loyalty-priced products showed shoppers generally achieve genuine savings by purchasing items through these programs.
However, the CMA cautioned that consumers should still compare prices across different supermarkets to ensure they are getting the best deals. The investigation revealed some loyalty-priced products were more expensive than comparable items offered by competing retailers.
The watchdog urged supermarkets to proactively ensure all promotions adhere to consumer law and called for greater inclusivity in loyalty program access, particularly for shoppers without smartphones.
The investigation, launched in January, focused on the two-tier pricing system that has emerged alongside the proliferation of supermarket loyalty card programs. Most major British supermarkets utilize these programs as a key element of their competitive strategy against discount retailers.
