More expensive by the dozen

Janis Gore (and LittleA, too--sorry not to pick up on that) both mention something I have noticed in the last couple of years, too--the increased cost for some products packaged in what we used to call "economy" sizes. I have noticed the same thing--toilet paper and towels and detergent and cereal and all sorts of other things that, if you bought the prepackaged bundle of 12 or the 15 pound box, would be more expensive than if you bought 12 individual packs or 15 one-pound boxes.

I'm sure there's some sort of perfectly valid reason ::guffaw:: why this happens, but it does seem awfully suspicious that after years of conditioning us power consumers to go for the bigger box since it will have a lower unit cost, and now it mysteriously has a higher unit cost.

Whatever--companies are free to set prices however they wish and make their profits, but this sure seems like a bad way to build goodwill. In the end, be smart and check the unit prices--take a calculator if you have to, and make sure to not pay any more than you have to.
posted by Terry at 9:25:00 AM