Banded Products – What Consumers should know!

Teri Ann Renee Paisley, Gleaner Online Writer

It’s a now familiar sight on the shelves of Jamaican supermarkets. A product is banded together and sold as one unit. So essentially you buy one product and the other one is free. Occasionally, another product is placed in the package which complements it and is offered as a bonus item.

I am not always a fan of the bonded promotions as they tend to encourage you buy more of a particular item than you had initially intended. I also find that the products bundled may also not be my choice as they often place items together that are unpopular.

I found this to be the case when I saw Dewland Juices (3lt) on special at MegaMart on Waterloo road. The original price for a 3lt Dewland juice is $218.44. However, the special allowed customers to purchase two 3lt Dewland Juices for the same price.

The special is only offered on the flavours that had been bonded with orange tape. So, although it was a good buy it only made sense if you liked the flavours that were offered which incidentally were mango and red grape juice.

Another thing to beware about buying items sold together is that one or more of the items might be nearing its expiry date. The special might be in an effort to rid the shelves of the item before it expires. It also makes sense to use the product within a reasonably amount of time if that is the case.

So is it worth it?

Buying items sold together does offer consumers a way to save money. If the product is one you enjoy and would have bought anyway then you certainly should as it will assist with the grocery bill.

So do you buy bundled products? Let me hear from you!

What is your take on the issue?

Tags: discounts, sale