‘We’ve been conditioned’: Target shopper finds out why ‘value pack’ doesn’t always mean better value

A disgruntled Target shopper is calling out some questionable pricing she discovered, earning a wave of support—and lack of surprise—on TikTok.

Lauren (@youniquely_me) was browsing the snack aisle at her local Target when she noticed something on the shelves that she admitted left her "confused."

"Explain this to me," she says, pointing to a box of MadeGood Chocolate Drizzled Granola Bars in a video that's been viewed nearly 400,000 times. 

Is a 'value pack' really a good value?

The package contained five bars, and said that each bar is 0.85 oz (24g) for a total of 4.25 oz (120g). They were priced at $3.99, with no indication that they were on sale or that the price was anything other than the usual cost of the product.

Lauren then drew attention to the Family Pack of the exact same product, sitting next to it on the same shelf. That version contained 10 bars and also listed each as weighing in at 0.85 oz (24g) for a total of 8.5 oz (240g). In other words, the Family Pack is advertised as containing exactly twice as much as the regular package.

The twist? The Family Pack costs $8.79, or $0.81 more than it would cost to buy two of the normal sized boxes at the store price of $3.99 each.

Commenters say it's all too common

It's a head-scratcher, for sure. In theory, buying a single box containing more items should cost less. At the very least, one would think the prices would be equal. But commenters on Lauren's video claimed they've been seeing examples of this trick pricing out in the wild more and more often.

"I've caught this on a lot of things," wrote one viewer. "They price it hoping people just assume the bigger is cheaper per unit without looking."

"The same happened to me at Ulta," another admitted. "Buying two small shampoos is cheaper than the large 'value size' gotta pay attn."

A third claimed, "Retail has always been this way. the brain usually sees big numbers and think ooo cheaper. so we won't read the 'fine print.'"

"We've been conditioned to think bulk is cheaper," another agreed.

@youniquely_me @target help me out with this. #confused #target #shopping #fypage #momsoftiktok #viral ♬ original sound - 🌼 Lauren 🌼

Target's pricing policy

Several noted having issues with this confusing pricing specifically at Target, while at least one user suggested checking online pricing, too. Target's current policy does include price matching products on its website—which can add to the frustration of confusing and seemingly unfair prices in stores.

And as a good rule of thumb, some commenters pointed out that if the store has the unit price on display, it can be more beneficial to look at that to figure out whether buying in bulk is a good deal or if you're getting screwed.

"This is why I always do the math first," @amyleighp49 said. "I don't trust the stores."

The Daily Dot has reached out to Lauren via TikTok comment and Target via email.

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The post ‘We’ve been conditioned’: Target shopper finds out why ‘value pack’ doesn’t always mean better value appeared first on The Daily Dot.

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