“Retailers Do This All the Time”: Woman’s Price Check of Bananas Ahead of Black Friday Stuns Mzansi
- A woman shared a video complaining about the minimal savings offered by a leading grocery retailer on its app, citing a small discount on bananas despite rising original prices
- The clip, shared on TikTok by a woman, sparked immediate public frustration, with many viewers suspecting that retailers were inflating original prices in preparation for Black Friday sales
- Social media users were concerned about the high rate of food inflation, with many observing instances of “shrinkflation” on the item in question
Source: UGC
A woman’s video highlighting the seemingly minor savings offered by a major grocery retailer ignited a passionate debate about food inflation in South Africa.
The candid clip, shared on TikTok by @c0rlizar, resonated with budget-conscious consumers who shared their frustrations and called out the retailers for their high prices while item sizes were being reduced.
The video featured the woman using the popular retailer's app, with an image of bananas visible in the background. She humorously suggested that grocery stores believe consumers do not pay attention to such small discounts. She noticed the bananas were marked as an original price of R23, discounted to R20.69, a saving amount that clearly did not impress her.
Consumers worry about SA food prices
The woman, TikTok user @c0rlizar, referenced President Ramaphosa, whom she jokingly called “Cupcake,” recalling his recent plea to big retailers to “come to the party” regarding high prices and acknowledging the significant struggle faced by consumers. To illustrate the severe inflation, she noted that they could no longer afford basic items like Coca-Cola, emphasising the severity of the crisis.
She provided a critical comparison, stating that in September, the same bananas were priced at R18, meaning the price had increased by about R5 in just one month. She then questioned the fundamental economics, noting that since the country was entering the banana season (high supply), the prices should be decreasing, not increasing.
Source: UGC
SA debates the high food prices
The clip garnered massive views and hundreds of comments from concerned and frustrated social media users. Many viewers suspected a retail strategy: they speculated that grocery stores were intentionally increasing prices now to make their Black Friday discounts look significant later. Some offered practical advice, directing others to local food markets where they claimed produce was both fresher and cheaper. Others raised concerns about “shrinkflation,” noting that the bananas displayed in the background were 650g less than the usual 1 kg, adding further to the overall consumer dissatisfaction.
User @Kaylin Spiers shared:
"So, I wanted to buy this on Sunday, it was R17,99 on special. The next day, it was R20."
User @Aliella added:
"The price of fruit goes up and down all the time."
User @X said:
"They’re increasing prices in preparation for Black Friday. So on Black Friday, the "normal" R16 price will be the special."
User @Chante commented:
"I’ve noticed everything has gone up this month (November). I think it’s so that when Black Friday comes, they will put it back down to the normal price and call it a saving, because they’re banking on most people not remembering the price of items from two months ago 😒. It’s like this every year."
User @Liz Gaskell🇿🇦 shared:
"And it's for 650g, not the 'usual' 1kg."
User @Lindsay Marysia said:
"Retailers do this all the time. We are tired 😫."
Watch the TikTok video below:
3 Briefly News articles about food
- A video exposing multiple examples of “shrinkflation” at a local grocery store showed how major brands have reduced product sizes while keeping prices the same.
- A woman shared a detailed video of her two-week, top-up grocery haul for herself and her husband, revealing she spent R7.2K on one shopping trip.
- A local woman showcased a unique culinary experiment, successfully cooking mogodu entirely in an air fryer, stunning many viewers.
Source: Briefly News
