how do they do that ?

[venta]

I've just been to Savers, a discount chemist. I bought myself some hair dye and some face cream and, because I'm anal like that, wandered into Boots to compare prices.

Boots doesn't stock the hairdye I bought, but their own-brand is £2.69, and I paid £2.49 for Schwarzkopf stuff.

The face cream I bought is £2.99 in Savers. In Boots it's under a large red poster saying "Lower prices you'll love", and costs £4.69.

Yes, I know this is a really dull post. But how the hell does Boots get away with it ? I know some people don't care much about saving a few pence here and there, but... 50% ?

Comments

[wimble.livejournal.com]

What colour? (he asks, with trepidation)

[leathellin.livejournal.com]

A very good marketing department.
They haven't entirely got away with it. They lost a lot of money when the supermarkets were also allowed to open pharmacies and their venture into the services market (aromatherpay, beauty stuff, massages) was deemed a failure and closed after a year or so.

[floralaetifica.livejournal.com]

I always use Boots for all such things. I didn't even have any idea there were places cheaper.

[thegreenman.livejournal.com]

It's all about branding I guess. The boots brand is well known and respected - so people assume they will get a good deal when they shop there and don't look any further.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Well the reason I ever shop at Boots is that I worked there and can predict when there will be a free condoms offer (which are roughly the same price for the non-free pack(s) everywhere). Or if I have a lot of advantage points from all those condoms. Everything else they sell is either cheaper elsewhere, comes in non-recyclable bottles, or has additives in it to make me fall over.

Boots

[(Anonymous)]

Of course Savers is OK, it was started in your home town. It's up to £5+ cheaper than Boots on Olay total body lotion (used by wrinklies).

[cuthbertcross.livejournal.com]

Boots isn't the cheapest place, but it's one of many pharmacists that it's important to support. The most important is your little corner shop chemist, who the government is happy to screw over by letting the supermarkets cut-price painkillers etc. Yes they're cheaper *now*, but when all the pharmacies go bust do you really think they'll stay cheap??
More to the point, a good pharmacy will order things for you if they don't stock them, whereas Boots won't (unless you want to buy, for example, 500 paskets of alum). In their defence they do sell homebrewing stuff still.
I thought the main thing about Savers was that it only does toiletries and unrestricted medicined; ie no prescription only. Superdrug is a fine shop, and does the job without being flashy.