Shops selling at prices ending in 99p

[Mcr Warrior]

We need a 99p coin!

Indeed. See post #26.

 

[Peter0124]

.99 purchases aren't too bad with cards cause it automatically deducts it whereas with cash you get 1p change.

 

[Cdd89]

I recall seeing some research that x.99p is still psychologically effective on people who mentally round up. It’s impossible to get the first digit out of your head once it’s been put there.

 

[ComUtoR]

Way back in my Retail days. I used to work in a shop where prices were all rounded to flat .00 This was in part to to a small but beneficial increase to income (those pennies really do add up) and it also provided less cash transactions, ease of purchase by the customer, clearer pricing policies and was deemed overall better for the customer.

As @Peter0124 states. This has less of an impact with card vs cash.

 

[Giugiaro]

One of the things I like about buying from the major retailers in Portugal is that they now show the prices per kg, litre, or even sheet of toilet paper.

It's the thing I look at the most when buying my groceries, even if it's displayed in small print.

Though there are things that I buy for their quality/taste, more than how cheap they are, if there's more than one size or shape of the same product, then having that sweet €/kg or €/l is just incredible!
It also makes it easier to compare prices between different shops. I learned that a 1kg box of Gresso Frischkäse at Continente was almost twice the €/kg than the 100g package of Mercadona Frischkäse.

Also, I learned with my mother to round everything from 0,99 to just 1,00. I still can't avoid having to accumulate useless pennies.

 

[william.martin]

.99 purchases aren't too bad with cards cause it automatically deducts it whereas with cash you get 1p change.

I don't usually trust card, somebody in HR could easily block the entire system so you can't take out money and you would have to live of your collection of 2p's and mars bars.
With cash it is easy to keep physical money that can't be taken off you if there is a computational error.

 

[Dai Corner]

I don't usually trust card, somebody in HR could easily block the entire system so you can't take out money and you would have to live of your collection of 2p's and mars bars.
With cash it is easy to keep physical money that can't be taken off you if there is a computational error.

How do you obtain your cash?

 

[william.martin]

How do you obtain your cash?

Just use the bank machine.

 

[Dai Corner]

Just use the bank machine.

If that's working the card machines in shops almost certainly will be too.

 

[Darandio]

Just use the bank machine.

By using the card you don't trust........

 

[william.martin]

By using the card you don't trust........

It's not the card I don't trust, it's the bank being able to block all of my hard earned money.

 

[skyhigh]

It's not the card I don't trust, it's the bank being able to block all of my hard earned money.

somebody in HR could easily block the entire system so you can't take out money

I think you need to take the tin foil hat off. Or if you're really concerned have 2 bank accounts with different banks.

Just use the bank machine.

As others have said, if the bank's systems are down unlikely you can take any cash out, either.

And if you don't trust the bank to use card, why is it any different to give them your money and just take it back as cash?

 

[Peter Sarf]

I think you need to take the tin foil hat off. Or if you're really concerned have 2 bank accounts with different banks.

As others have said, if the bank's systems are down unlikely you can take any cash out, either.

And if you don't trust the bank to use card, why is it any different to give them your money and just take it back as cash?

OT but I keep a stash of cash for a rainy day. If the card system goes wrong I wont be trying to rely on the hole in the wall. Its happened to a friend where he could not buy anything including petrol.

99p, A nuisance but I always keep on top of my change in my pocket. I try to have less than £1 in coppers and silver. Then I keep it all in a plastic cash bag in my pocket to reduce the wear on the trouser pocket !.

 

[cjmillsnun]

I'm firmly of the opinion that any coins worth less than 10p should be abolished as they are worthless, wasteful and productivity-sapping, which would also have the convenient side benefit of doing away with the '.99' nonsense. Would firms then price at '£X.90' then do we think?

I disagree. Those odd pennies have benefitted charities across the country. I generally stick any change less than 5p in a charity box.

 

[su31]

I've noticed more recently, if using a banknote to buy a £1.49 or £1.99 item for example, not receiving the 1p in my change, thereby unofficially paying £1.50 or £2.

 

[Altrincham]

I recall being told many years ago that the .99p on items was a throwback to the days when businesses wanted to make sure that the till drawers were opened and the transaction registered, with the purchaser waiting for their penny change.

I’ve often thought about this and wondered if it’s still relevant today, especially where a high number of payments are handled using debit/credit cards. I’d be happy to see a nice round figure. Most of my payments are by card these days.

 

[Iskra]

I've noticed more recently, if using a banknote to buy a £1.49 or £1.99 item for example, not receiving the 1p in my change, thereby unofficially paying £1.50 or £2.

That’s quite normal abroad; in Italy for example

I recall being told many years ago that the .99p on items was a throwback to the days when businesses wanted to make sure that the till drawers were opened and the transaction registered, with the purchaser waiting for their penny change.

I’ve often thought about this and wondered if it’s still relevant today, especially where a high number of payments are handled using debit/credit cards. I’d be happy to see a nice round figure. Most of my payments are by card these days.

It’s still possible for a cashier to have a pile of 1p coins by the till, ready to give out to anyone who pays to the nearest pound. The customer gets their change as normal, but the transaction doesn’t go through and the cashier pockets the pound coins/note. Beware anyone with a small pile of coins near their till…

 

[william.martin]

As others have said, if the bank's systems are down unlikely you can take any cash out, either.

I wouldn't need to if I already had cash.

 

[SteveP29]

Another one is people see something like £1.99 as £1 or £5.99 as £5 - they always round down even though both prices are actually almost one whole pound higher than their perception !.

Came here to say exactly that but I see I've been beaten to it by several others, back in my box I go.

 

[birchesgreen]

One of the things I like about buying from the major retailers in Portugal is that they now show the prices per kg, litre, or even sheet of toilet paper.

It's the thing I look at the most when buying my groceries, even if it's displayed in small print.

Thats quite common here in the UK too, its useful information.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

There seems to be much inconsistency. In Tesco the majority of items seem to be priced to a rounded amount but then they price some items, such as their own brand biscuits at 49p or similar. If it is worth charging (ie no negative customer feedback) a rounded 80p or £1.20 for fresh bread rolls (instead of 79p / £1.19) why not just charge 50p for the biscuits. One or the other please.

Poundland is the land where you paid a pound, and only a pound, for everything.
Poundstretcher is where the customer gets good value because their pounds are stretched, rather than the pound price being stretched to allow different prices. That's how I read it anyway.

 

[DelayRepay]

There seems to be much inconsistency. In Tesco the majority of items seem to be priced to a rounded amount but then they price some items, such as their own brand biscuits at 49p or similar. If it is worth charging (ie no negative customer feedback) a rounded 80p or £1.20 for fresh bread rolls (instead of 79p / £1.19) why not just charge 50p for the biscuits. One or the other please.

Perhaps they do it to appear above their rivals on comparison sites?

The think that annoys me is petrol stations, pricing petrol at £x.xx9 per litre. Why??

 

[Bobdogs]

About time they banned the ridiculous point 9 on fuel station prices, far worse than the 99 pence

 

[PeterY]

I disagree. Those odd pennies have benefitted charities across the country. I generally stick any change less than 5p in a charity box.

I always ask the staff to put the odd pennies into their charity box. I know it's not a lot but all those 1p's soon add up, over a year, if the majority of customers do it, especially with large chain stores.

 

[C J Snarzell]

Poundland is the land where you paid a pound, and only a pound, for everything.
Poundstretcher is where the customer gets good value because their pounds are stretched, rather than the pound price being stretched to allow different prices. That's how I read it anyway.

Up in my neck of the woods there is a chain of bakeries called the Pound Bakery that are part of the Sayers/Hampsons group.

Up until 2020ish, most of their produce could be bought for £1 such as a small sandwich or 2 x pasties. Fastforward two and a bit years and there is literally nothing left on sale now for £1 or less, other than a muffin or ginger man for 75p.

I even commented recently that the chain should be named the One Fifty Bakery to reflect the rising price of inflation.

CJ

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Up in my neck of the woods there is a chain of bakeries called the Pound Bakery that are part of the Sayers/Hampsons group.

Up until 2020ish, most of their produce could be bought for £1 such as a small sandwich or 2 x pasties. Fastforward two and a bit years and there is literally nothing left on sale now for £1 or less, other than a muffin or ginger man for 75p.

I even commented recently that the chain should be named the One Fifty Bakery to reflect the rising price of inflation.

CJ

Yes, we had one of those up Hanley Duck. Haven't been since Covid but many things had already gone beyond the £1 before that. You used to be able to get two potato pies for £1. The brand started when Sayers had a bit of a business wobble and 'pound' things were all the rage at the time.

The big benefit was that, come October they did a great Parkin, otherwise impossible to buy.

 

[Ianigsy]

I disagree. Those odd pennies have benefitted charities across the country. I generally stick any change less than 5p in a charity box.

I used to help out with door to door charity street collections at Christmas- after a while you learned which houses saved up a year’s worth of coppers for you to carry around for the rest of the evening, and avoided them!

Thinking about it, the penny must be worth about the same now as the Australian and Canadian cents when they were abolished (and probably has considerably less purchasing power than the decimal halfpenny had when it was done away with). I loathe the things myself, but we persist nevertheless…

 

[scragend]

I'm wondering if Poundland might rebrand. In Ireland it's called Dealz (as they obviously don't have pounds over there!) and recently I've noticed a lot more lorries knocking about with Dealz.ie on the side rather than Poundland. They might just be using more Irish lorries to deliver to the UK for some reason but, as fewer and fewer things in Poundland cost a pound anymore, perhaps the rebranding would make more sense.

If only they would spell it properly...

 

[DelayRepay]

I always ask the staff to put the odd pennies into their charity box. I know it's not a lot but all those 1p's soon add up, over a year, if the majority of customers do it, especially with large chain stores.

Is it just me, or are charity boxes themselves less common these days? I think most shops/cafes/pubs used to have a collection tin on the counter. I remember the RNLI used to have one where you'd slide the penny down a little lifeboat into the slot.

Nowadays I don't think they're as common. The exception being November when the Royal British Legion have the market cornered!

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Regarding the inflation value of the 1p coin.

I've had a look online and a decimal half-pence, introduced in 1971 and withdrawn in 1984 would be worth 1p today (strictly 1.124p) inflated from 1984. Assuming that people accepted the loss of the half-pence then yes, it is time to remove the 1p coin.

Something would need to be agreed with banks though. The half-pence was never used in banking where things were rounded to the nearest penny, if the 1p were to be removed then it would also need to be removed from banking as they would be unable to honour an account of, say £10.01.

Calculator online at moneysorter. Trigger warning: contains a picture of Steve Wright.

Is it just me, or are charity boxes themselves less common these days? I think most shops/cafes/pubs used to have a collection tin on the counter. I remember the RNLI used to have one where you'd slide the penny down a little lifeboat into the slot.

Nowadays I don't think they're as common. The exception being November when the Royal British Legion have the market cornered!

Not just charity boxes but those door-to-door collection envelopes and street collections. The latter may not be quite as correct as I rarely visit high streets nowadays to really get a measure but it is a very long time since I had an envelope through the door.