Supermarket reportedly uses genius pricing trick to stop hand sanitizer hoarding
A supermarket has shared a genius hack to prevent customers from hoarding important goods like hand sanitizer during the coronavirus epidemic.
On social media this week, a number of Twitter users have shared a picture of a ploy by the Hellerup Foodmarket in Denmark, which is reportedly intended to discourage people buying more than one of a certain item at a time.
The picture shows one bottle of hand sanitizer next to a multipack, with one costing a mere 40kr (£4.92/$5.73), while two bottles cost a whopping 1000kr each (£122/$143).
In a later explanation on their official Facebook page, the supermarket wrote: "Dear customers, we have a great responsibility to keep the business running, and we can only do that with everyone’s help and understanding. I can help in the following way:"
They continued: "We ask all customers to respect the distance between each other and our co-workers. Sprinkle (likely sanitize or wash) hands off at the entrance and use gloves. If you are a family, please allow only one person to purchase the purchases if possible."
They added: "There may be times when we limit how many customers we accept in the store at one time. We will keep you informed about any operating changes on Facebook. Take care and thank you for your understanding."
This comes after two men from Tennessee who hoarded more than 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizer to sell at inflated prices during the epidemic were ordered to donate them all to charity on the orders of the Attorney General’s Office.
Matt and Noah Colvin, from Hixson in Tennesee, drove more than 1,300 miles to every store they could find, buying large supplies of hand sanitizer to sell on Amazon at an extortionate rate of between $8 and $70.
Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery ordered the two to relinquish their valuable supplies, writing in an official statement: "We will not tolerate price gouging in this time of exceptional need, and we will take aggressive action to stop it."
He added: "During this pandemic, we ask that you report suspicious activity to the Division of Consumer Affairs and refrain from threatening or hostile communication with individuals or businesses you may suspect are price gouging."