Consumer NZ questions Foodstuffs’ removal of online price-sorting tool

Consumer NZ has found that the ability to rank products by price – an essential tool for online shoppers – has vanished from the websites of two major supermarkets owned by Foodstuffs.

“Shoppers are accustomed to having the option to filter by price on most retail websites, so this change is surprising and disappointing,” said Chris Schulz, investigative journalist at Consumer NZ.

Numerous retailers – including Woolworths and The Warehouse, amongst others – still offer this crucial feature. Yet, New World and Pak'nSave have removed it entirely from their websites, opting instead to default to sorting products by their popularity.

A Consumer member alerted the watchdog to the removal of the price-sorting tool, expressing their frustration at the development. "In a time when grocery prices are rising, making it harder to find the cheapest options is simply unacceptable," the member stated.

Consumer verified the claim and confirmed that while the option to sort by price is no longer available on the websites, it remains accessible through the supermarkets’ shopping apps.

Impact on consumer purses and choices

To understand the implications of the move, Consumer conducted a survey of common grocery items on both supermarkets’ online shopping sites.

The results showed that Pams products, the home brand for both supermarkets, dominated search results.

This raised questions about how the removal of the price sorting feature would affect consumer choice and transparency.

“Such a move may limit options for shoppers and ultimately bolster supermarket profit margins at the expense of local suppliers,” Schulz said.

Foodstuffs' response

Consumer reached out to Foodstuffs for clarification on why the sort-by-price tool had been removed.

A spokesperson stated, “We’re upgrading our digital platform to improve our e-commerce offerings, including more transparent unit pricing. A new sorting feature will be added soon to allow price and unit price comparisons.”

However, the spokesperson did not specify when the price-ranking tool would return, leaving consumers in the dark.

In contrast, Woolworths, a key competitor, confirmed that it has no plans to remove its price-sorting feature, emphasising its importance in providing customers with the best value.

Consumer's stance

Schulz described the removal of the sorting option as “bizarre”, especially amid ongoing concerns over food prices due to the ongoing the cost-of-living crisis. “This change could hinder consumers from making informed decisions about their purchases.”

He also reiterated previous concerns about supermarkets prioritising their own brands in search results, emphasising the need for greater transparency and choice in the grocery market.

Consumer urges shoppers to remain vigilant and advocate for better online shopping tools that empower them to make informed purchasing decisions.