Consumers have reported that major retailers are changing the weights, sizes, and shapes of promotional package deals to mislead shoppers into thinking they are getting a bargain, only to discover after purchase that these new deals are less valuable and more expensive than previous offers. They consider this to be consumer manipulation and deception aimed at stimulating sales. Conversely, two officials from retail outlets told "Emirates Today" that stores frequently change the formats and weights of their promotions to suit the diverse tastes and needs of consumers. They explained that the nature of promotional deals is inherently flexible and varies depending on the specific offer, the product, the retailer, competition, and the overall cost. They urged consumers to carefully read product information, especially the weight and price, before making a purchase. They clarified that while the prices of individual goods are fixed and constantly monitored by relevant authorities, the pricing of promotions is a different matter entirely, characterized by flexibility and subject to various factors, primarily market competition and cost. In detail, consumer Samir Jaweih stated, "Retail outlets change the weights and shapes of promotional packages to make the consumer believe they are buying a tempting offer, only to discover after the purchase that the new deal is less valuable and more expensive than the previous offers they were used to." He pointed out that this constitutes consumer deception and manipulation to encourage them to buy these offers. He explained that one major retail chain with branches across the emirates recently promoted a dishwashing liquid offer consisting of three colorful, wide-shaped bottles, each 500ml, for a total of 1.5 liters at a price of AED 14.99. Typically, outlets, including the same one, offer two bottles of the same product, each 950ml, for a total of 1.9 liters at AED 12.40. This means the new offer is 20.8% more expensive despite the smaller volume. Consumer Mohamed Kamal said, "Retail outlets deliberately change the weights, sizes, and shapes of promotional packages to make the consumer think they are buying a great deal, only to find out after purchasing and scrutinizing the offer that it is less valuable and more expensive than previous offers." He added that this is misleading to consumers. He mentioned that one outlet offered two chickens from a famous brand, each weighing 1100 grams, for a total weight of 2200 grams at AED 40.55. The following week, the same outlet offered two chickens from the same brand, each weighing 900 grams, for a total weight of 1800 grams at AED 43. They were placed in a large box surrounded by a wide, shiny gold strip to make them appear heavier, and the consumer only discovered the actual weight after getting home. Consumer Mona Faik agreed that retail outlets change the weights and shapes of promotional packages to make the consumer feel they are facing a good offer worth buying, only to discover after the purchase upon scrutinizing the offer that it is more expensive than previous offers. She said that one well-known major outlet promoted an offer on cooking oil consisting of three bottles with a total volume of 3 liters and 750ml at AED 28.55. Later, the same outlet offered three bottles of the same brand but in a different shape, larger and wider, at AED 33. She bought the offer and then discovered after the purchase that the weight of the two bottles was 1 liter and the third was small, 500ml, for a total weight of 2.5 liters. Thus, the price is higher even though the weight is much less. She added that another outlet offered a set of pots and pans at AED 320 in a huge, brightly colored package. She bought it, thinking it was similar to a previous offer that included 12 pieces, but later discovered it only contained 8 pieces at the same price as the previous set of 12 pieces. On his part, an official at one retail outlet, Ali Dawood, said, "Retail outlets continuously change the formats and values of promotions to suit the diverse tastes and needs of consumers." He clarified that the nature of promotional deals is inherently variable depending on the offer itself, the product, the outlet, and the total cost, including shipping and production costs. An official at another retail outlet, Yaqoob Khan, confirmed that "some consumers might get confused between prices and promotions due to the similarity in packaging and shapes of some brands." He urged consumers to read product data carefully, especially the weight and price, before purchasing. He pointed out that while the prices of goods are fixed and constantly monitored by the concerned authorities, the pricing of promotions has a completely different nature, always flexible and subject to several factors, the most prominent of which are market competition and cost. He added that promotions serve as an incentive for the consumer to buy, so attention is paid to their appearance to make them more attractive to the consumer, whether by using vibrant colors or attractive shapes. A retail expert, Devi Nagpal, said, "Some outlets manipulate the shapes and weights of promotions to make them appear larger than their actual sizes, but the consumer is responsible for verifying the price, size, and weight of the promotional item before rushing to buy just because its price is discounted." He warned consumers against looking only at the price of the item before purchasing, explaining that some consumers look only at the price before buying, and if they find it lower than its original price, they think this offer is tempting, which is not correct at all. There are changes in promotions for goods in terms of weight, size, and package shapes, which makes the uninformed consumer think that the price is much lower or the weight is more or similar, when in fact it is much smaller. He stressed the necessity of reading all the product's data before purchasing and not buying just because there is a price offer on the product, pointing out that the competition between outlets makes many promotions real and of great value, and these are the ones that should be focused on buying.
