Promotions and discounts in stores – what's wrong with them?

Main points

• Stores may have misleading discounts when the price tag shows one price and the cash register shows another, which violates consumer rights.
• There is a hidden price increase when the quantity of a product decreases but the price remains the same.

How they can fool you in stores / Collage 24 Channel

Many people love various promotions and discounts in stores. However, not everything is so simple, and some of them can be deceptive. This is how large retail chains increase their profits.

How can Ukrainians be deceived in stores?

Telegraph tells us how such schemes work.

In particular, marketers currently distinguish three types of discounts:

1. Stimulating demand. That is, discounts are provided for brands and various trademarks so that customers gradually get used to a particular product.
2. “Last chance.” These are promotions on products whose expiration date ends in just 1-2 days. Therefore, experts advise checking the expiration date on the back of the packaging.
3. Warehouse cleaning. That is, it is about reducing the cost of some illiquid goods or old batches of products before updating.

In general, one of the most common situations is when the price tag says one price for a product, but at the checkout it turns out to be completely different. That is, a person should pay the full price for the product.

Administrators and cashiers often explain that the promotion has simply ended. But due to various circumstances, employees “didn't have time to remove the price tags.”

However, Ukrainian legislation does not provide for such cases. The Law “On Consumer Protection” states: the client has the right to buy goods at the price indicated on the price tag.

The price list is a public offer (a proposal to conclude a contract). If the price in the database is different, it is the store's problem,
– writes the Telegraph.

Therefore, Ukrainians are advised to demand:

1. or sell the product at the price that was originally on the product;
2. or return the difference.

You should also take into account the fact of hidden price increases . What is this? We are talking about cases when a bottle of oil “gets smaller”. And it is no longer a liter, but 850 milliliters. Although the price remains the same as before.

That is, buyers pay the same amount, but receive less product – somewhere around 10 – 15%.

Important! You should always pay attention to the net weight, or even better – calculate the price per 1 kilogram or 1 liter.

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What else should you know about companies in Ukraine?

• Many Ukrainian companies are providing discounts or even free services to military personnel in 2026. Among them are METRO, Epicenter, “House of Toys”, Idealist Coffee, and many others.

• At the same time, Monobank launched a new program called “Pundyky”. In the bank's cashback menu, you can choose partner offers – promotional codes, discounts, and points. They are individual and updated weekly.