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I’ve noticed the local Coles have removed all the scales from the fruit and veg section of the store. When shopping I find it rather useful to weigh an item in order to determine whether I can afford it, or just how much I want to spend on it. I spoke to the manager and their solution is that I should walk halfway across the store, wait in the queue, and weigh it at the checkout. I feel this is a impractical solution and not an option anybody is going to exercise. Ultimately they’re preventing customers from knowing the exact purchase price at the point where they make the decision whether or not to buy.

I’ve checked the Trade Practices Act, and expect that they’re operating inside the law, as far I can tell, but I definitely recall this being an issue some years back when they reduced the number of scales provided from several to just one. If my memory serves me they attempted to remove them altogether then, but I can’t recall if they wound up providing that one scale due to law, or just public pressure. Is there a special set of rules applicable to Supermarkets? Did the rules change to allow this move? Are other branches of Coles doing it? Has woolies done it too?

I feel it is not in the spirit of fair trading to force us to make decisions, firstly without full knowledge of the cost, and secondly to reverse or alter previous decisions under the pressure of the checkout. Most people will not hold up the queue to adjust the quantity of an item, or reverse their decision to buy altogether, even if the price revealed does exceed their limits.

Can we cause a stink about this please?

thanks,
john.

They’ve rearranged the fruit and veg section and the scales are simply gone. To weigh your fruit/veg one must go to the checkout, half the store away. It is clearly a move designed to ensure you cannot know the price of your fruit/veg before going to the checkout.

I recall some years ago they tried to do this and failed. It appears now that they have won. If anyone knows of the legal position of this strategy please let me know. I can’t recall if there was one cited which saw this move prevented last time. Has the law changed? or was it not law but a concession to public pressure? I don’t recall.

@philip andrew

Thanks mate. I’m giving Coles as wide a berth as I can now. I’ve started getting the bulk of my groceries from “Harris Farm” at Queenscliff, opposite Fishos. It’s quite good so far. Sadly I can’t practically boycott Coles altogether; some items simply aren’t available elsewhere – well – at least not until I wean myself off them and find alternatives.