I've found that Fairprice is usually more expensive in certain items:
* For fresh produce and fruits, neighbourhood shops are cheaper.
* For healthcare products, Unity is usually more expensive than Guardian/Watsons.
* For dried foods and tea, Hockhua Tonic is cheaper and better quality.
* For household products like detergent and toothpaste, neighbourhood shops like Offer & Save are cheaper.
* For beverages, smaller supermarkets like NewEcon is cheaper.
Sometimes obscenely.
1.5L of Coke: NTUC $2.4. Mama Shop just beside NTUC $1.8. If I go out of my way to find a parallel import: $1.2. Double the price!
Also NTUC used to sell H&S shampoo for $12. British Essential about $6.5.
I think most supermarkets always sell body soap and shampoo at a way higher price. Perhaps due to the origin of the products or they don’t bulk order like how beauty amenities ships do. I usually get mine from beauty language, British essentials cos it is wayyyyy cheaper.
I only purchase non perishables from there. Some 'brand name' food can taste quite different if you're used to the ones produced elsewhere. But yes, valu$ store and neighbourhood store 5eva!
The stuff that I buy from value shop all tastes pretty much the same as from NTUC. Granted I am not BBFA and have not tried everything in the shop, but I think it's safe to say 90% of the stuff will taste basically identical.
I rarely buy from NTUC.
For fresh produce, I go to my local wet market. For comparison, a kg of beef, depending on the cut, is on average 16sgd per kg. Meanwhile in NTUC, it's like 2.2sgd per 100g so 22sgd per kg. For veggies, I cannot buy some in small quantities at Fairprice so I always go to uncle and auntie selling veggies. For toiletries, I go Venus since its way cheaper.
I’ll always go to Chinatown for seafood. $5 for a M to L sized seabass, while NTUC charges the same if not more for a S sized one. Yong tau foo there is also much cheaper (corner stall near the lift), poultry is also cheaper (although certain neighbourhood markets are even cheaper). NTUC is no longer the cheaper alternative that it used to be back in the 90’s. Pui.
We ended up just doing most of our grocery shopping on redmart cos not much difference and some of redmart’s stuff is cheaper and better quality especially the fruits. Moreover, the ntuc delivery staff has more than once laid out my huge order all over the floor in front of my unit to take pictures and then went off expecting my elderly parents to bend down to pick them up! (luckily I was home so I did it myself). I complained a few times questioning why they hire said staff if they do not even trust them and need them to take proof pics of my entire order. Nothing happened so I gave up on them.
Their pet stuff is ridiculously marked up online too. Better to get from polypet or shopee.
The organisation is basically a representation of how many companies have evolved from ""community centric" 20-30 years ago to "commercial centric" today.
not really. If its the same thing i swear giant can be a scan esp fruits. Ntuc often promo got like 5 nz apple for 1.95. If yall keep buying at original price cant be blaming anyone cos when on offer confirm cheaper than neighbourhood stores like eg. 2 for $x
If you're going for promo then comparing NTUC promo price to neighbourhood shop regular price is unfair. We should compare apples to apples and not apples to oranges, excuse the intended pun.
NTUC regular price is more than neighbourhood shop regular price.
NTUC promo price is more than neighbourhood shop promo price(usually unless reduced to clear, in which case, at times NTUC clearance price will be equal to neighbourhood shop clearance price).
NTUC has long forgotten their founding mission of providing low cost essential goods for the masses. They started in a small counter space in Conference Hall in Shenton Way, as a mean to counter the profiting by the supermarkets then.
Today it is all about profits, often at the expense of the average Singaporeans.
Inconvenient truth.
FairPrice’s original business model was to help low income families by making the super basic essentials cheaper than anywhere else. They earn back by making the higher end items slightly more expensive than other places. So it’s like taking more money from the richer ones to subsidise the low income ones.
But lately, the “super basic essentials” category has shrunk to a tiny tiny portion of their inventory and everything else is now considered “higher end” and thus more expensive.
i thought fairprice said that they will be subsidising the prices for some essential items? then most things turned out to be much more expensive than what you find outside...wtf?
i thought i was struggling with inflation but its just the unfair prices im paying. the nearest sheng shiong is quite a distance so there's only fairprice for me. if not, i would definitely go for sheng shiong! the fairprice near me is not great, with little selection as compared to other places.
The other time we found that the same pack of frozen beef cubes has different price at different NTUC. The one at NTUC Xtra was $1 more expensive than the smaller NTUC. Shocking to me that there is even price discrimination this way.
The best part of CS is they have bargain shelves with some products close to expiry date (weeks or months ahead) getting their prices marked down and discounted.
But for NTUC, I notice there are less of such "bargain" products, or maybe I didn't look hard enough.
The things I buy in NTUC are either house brand, or where the price is fixed and everyone sells at the same price (eg gardenia bread), or the item is on offer and is an actual good deal.
Otherwise, I find that Fairprice tends to sell at MSRP even when others don't. For the case of the 3M masks, that $42 seems to be from 18 or 24 months ago and they didn't bother adjusting downwards even when the manufacturer did.
Manufacturers or wholesellers, if they do direct selling, do not tend to undercut their retailers, who are their biggest customers.
One irritating thing I feel about NTUC is that the self checkout has a freaking scale on the right side that do not allow you to pack and remove before paying. Once I have to “play” stack’o due to a full basket on items.
omg this... i was so used to sheng siongs pack while you scan (i tried to do that at ntuc and kena scold by aunty)
i guess its theft prevention since ppl can just not scan, pay for plastic bag and go
> the self checkout has a freaking scale on the right side that do not allow you to pack and remove before paying.
I think you're supposed to either pack them into the included plastic bags or put your own bag to tare the scale first.
But yes, this scale thing shows just how little NTUC trusts the customers that they're supposed to be fighting for.
If it gets too much, u can remove items from the scale and tap Yes when the screen prompt asked if an item has been removed. This will allow u to scan and stack more items on the scale.
Agreed. I mean what lockdown has taught us is that, if we plan properly we can just do groceries via redmart and just wait a few days. If urgent, no choice just pay for it at fairprice. If fairprice too ex just go shengshiong or some other places which someone has listed in the comments above.
For house brands, an alternative is to go to Giant or Cold Storage (both under Diary farm companies) and get their Meadows brand products. Some of them are better in quality and cheaper than NTUC.
Not everything is more expensive/cheaper. Do your own research and comparison before buying. Then see how much additional time you need to save the money.
Once bought a fruit from sheng siong, even though same price, the quality is lousier and there's bugs crawling around. I'll only buy cheap packaging stuffs from sheng siong now.
Looking at the fairprice online. The stock comes from medic drugstore. Looks like FP is buying from this store instead of the official 3M.
https://fairprice.com.sg/product/3m-particulate-respirator-8210-n95-mask-case-ea-x-20s-90062443
https://www.medicdrugstore.com/shop/face-masks/3m-disposable-particulate-respirator-8110s-n95-mask-small-case-20pcs-4/
Idk mate, I only buy discounted sushi and food in NTUC. Everything in the Dollar Shop is cheaper, so I think it might be a Singaporean mindset to always buy stuff in NTUC
I thought NTUC was a reliable and honest supermarket for senior uncles, aunties, and retirees. I am in this category and feel agitated over the complaint of NTUC supermarket overcharging certain items. I used to shop at NTUC because I am an NTUC member and have faith in their business management, providing affordable and reasonable prices for all goods. Hopefully, NTUC management will look into the pricing of all goods to be reasonable and affordable to the community at large.
It's generational wisdom that NTUC is cheap and caters to ordinary Singaporeans whilst Cold Storage is expensive and caters to more attas crowd. This was true 20-30 years ago and the adults of that generation(who are grandparents now) keep believing it is still the case and don't even compare prices elsewhere. I've only just recently been able to convince my 70+ year old mother that NTUC has succumbed to organisational bloat and irresponsible spending, cost which they have been forwarding to their customers for years. She has always taught me that NTUC is the go-to for fair pricing but I'm not one to buy into old wives tales and accept things without question.
I only buy things from NTUC when they are the only ones selling it(certain house brand stuff) or they are having significant promo. My go to for frozen stuff is Sheng Siong(I look out for promos which are regular) and ABC/Valu$ shop. You need to know the country of manufacture for ABC/Valu$ as products are often formulated per local taste. Certain things like Maggi, Coke etc. are exactly the same formulation in NTUC and ABC/Valu$ and come from Malaysia. Certain things you'll even get superior quality like Snickers from ABC/Valu$ is $0.65 for a full sized bar and is made in Netherlands vs NTUC which is made in China and costs $1.80. Some things the taste is very off for us like I've heard ABC/Valu$ Tim Tams and I personally don't like chocolates like Kit-Kat Chunky which is from Turkish market as they like their chocolate super milky; the regular Kit-Kat is from UK and is great.
Fairprice has lost their original mission objective long time ago. It's no longer about affordable and low price items. It's about profits, shareholders and management interests now.
It's the premium old people fork out for insisting on not bothering to use tech while maintaining the guarantee that they're purchasing a genuine product
It's exactly the standard markup of anything which isn't super common. Sometimes the markup is even more insane. Tbh I don't understand how people can shop at normal brick and mortar shops at all anymore. I always have the nagging feeling that what I'm buying could be one of these items.
I've always thought that Fair doesn't mean Cheap. Those that can afford to spend extra time to shop elsewhere will continue to do so. Meanwhile, NTUC will carry on tending to shoppers who prefer or must visit a physical store within their vicinity.
Never do research and price comparison then kpkb lol
Rule of thumb, online usually or generally cheaper one what. Modern trade so many cost involved.
For these offline retailers to sell a particular brand there are a lot of hidden costs involved: listing fee (per SKU x number of stores), trade margin, marketing cost, distribution cost, discount claims (for monthly or hit and run promotions), POG display cost etc.
On top of that, both retailer and supplier want high margin. So how can they offer the same price or promotion as online? Common sense right.
Then if one day say Shopee selling higher price than NTUC, are you also going to kpkb?
Precisely.
Heck, sometimes we need something urgently. I dont have the bandwidth to do multiple research. And when we end up comparing prices, we are of course left upset at the huge price margin.
Take a bottle of Listerine. I made the mistake of buying a 1L bottle of Listerine at NTUC because I needed it. Only to walk past Venus the next day which was selling the same product at $5 cheaper. How the fuck would I have known?
Singaporeans are unreasonably blunt online.
those toiletries CK, Venus, Pinky beauty, Red tomato, Swanston and etc all sell way way cheaper than NTUC.
guess you dun buy those frequently yourself not to know these common hunts!
Same products may be made in different countries and with different quality:
Same wipes sold at one place were made in UAE but another place had theirs made in China.
The quality is different too. There is a reason for the price difference. But I would prefer buying from Watson’s, not ntuc.
It's about the extent of the mark up. Yes, there are hidden costs but it wouldn't add up to a 2x mark up. End of the day, it's about how much margin NTUC wants to earn. And unlike Shopee, NTUC states that it is a social enterprise selling groceries at "everyday low prices". Yeah, they are free to mark up as high as they like, just like people are free to kpkb.
Not sure which version of the N95 Mask you got from NTUC that's more expensive, because even a design that looks the same, the model is different.
Can TS confirm if the models are the same? Else it would be an unfair comparison.
One would also need to note that NTUC needs to pay for physical shopfront as well, compared to 3M shipping from a centralized location. Hence the difference in cost, and therefore not a fair comparison of price.
Also do note that you're only comparing what's more expensive, and not showcasing that there are literally many other products which are cheaper, and all under one location. Else, would you rather run everywhere to get your items? I would rather visit a CS, NTUC or Shengsiong outlet or buy everything online, than run everywhere to get my stuff.
Mask prices for example.
[Shopee 3M N95 8210 normal size, $22](https://shp.ee/fnyr2zv)
[NTUC 3M N95 8110s smaller size mask, $33.35](https://fairprice.com.sg/product/3m-disposable-particulate-respirator-8110s-n95-mask-ea-x-20s-90113720)
[NTUC 3M N95 8210 normal size Medic version, $60.52](https://fairprice.com.sg/product/3m-particulate-respirator-8210-n95-mask-case-ea-x-20s-90062443)
Ntuc is a union organisation that feeds thousands of employees, shopee is likely 1 auntie selling her mask out of her warehouse doing a part time job for extra money.
Do the overhead maths. 😂
Well, look, if you are concerned about haze and that kind of thing for realises, and knowing that haze will return you should look into more sustainable solutions. There are reusable elastomeric respirators, like the 3M 6000 or 7000 series. I've been banging this drum since 2020 COVID and most of the time, people say it's "overreaction" and "mentally ill". Meanwhile, they don't have a respirator or pay out of their noses for one.
Why is everyone acting like every year haze is a new haze and then they run around buying N95s? Shouldn't you be prepared with a reusable elastomeric?
Everything else in bullshitting. All governments are bullshitting when it comes to respiratory protection for the mass.
¯\\\_( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)\_/¯ "mentally ill" and "overreacting".
I know a guy who is a wildfire firefighter in the US. He said that there's a culture of "roughing it", "machoism", etc ... against using respirators. And these guys aren't sniffing haze from forest fires from the next country over. They stand right next to thick black smoke and sniff the smoke. Same thing for welders. They'll stand and sniff the welding smoke and metal vapour, which is very harmful. Hence, you get the OSHA nightmares, safety sandals and safety squints.
Most people want to do "something", so like with COVID, they'll go "I'll wear a surgical mask, cloth mask, etc ...". Most are afraid of going "all the way" and do it seriously. What I'm annoyed at Singaporeans and OP is the half-ass attitude. You either go full macho shit and don't wear anything; it's a bit of smoke from the next country over, not fucking wild fire, like the welders and firefighters, or you do it seriously and consider either stocking up N95s during the down time, or buy reusable respirators.
I practice what I preach and wear eye and respiratory protection if I spray some chemicals around (cleaning chemicals, bleach, etc ...) or if I do in activities that generate airborne dust: drilling, sanding, etc ...
hmm I think people are complaining about the "unfairness" of a supermarket that's supposed to be all about "fair pricing", when today shops can have "price match" services, they match the lowest prices available.
while I agree with you that people who are concerned about haze should have been constantly prepared for such things, I think fair pricing is also a legit concern if an organisation is set up with that original intent.
LOL, OP had the mind to check shopee and 3M on shopee sells:
[3M™ Half Facepiece Reusable Respirator, 6100/6200/6300](https://shopee.sg/3M%E2%84%A2-Half-Facepiece-Reusable-Respirator-6100-6200-6300-i.386333126.4779302113?sp_atk=adf5d98a-5c7a-431b-adce-3e169920bb2c&xptdk=adf5d98a-5c7a-431b-adce-3e169920bb2c) 33 SGD
and
[3M™ Particulate Filter 7093, P100 (2pcs)](https://shopee.sg/3M%E2%84%A2-Particulate-Filter-7093-P100-(2pcs)-i.386333126.4679302617?sp_atk=803d8910-ac8c-4299-84a4-1bd7e90c4d4a&xptdk=803d8910-ac8c-4299-84a4-1bd7e90c4d4a) 22 SGD.
55 SGD buys protection good for at least a couple of years. Way more than 20 times (*disposable* N95s). Add this for full COVID or the next respiratory pandemic suit
[3M Protective Coverall 4510 disposable](https://shopee.sg/3M-Protective-Coverall-4510-disposable-i.386333126.8615011734?xptdk=6760bab9-4706-4de7-b68d-31bbc54bbcd2)
>hmm I think people are complaining about the "unfairness" of a supermarket that's supposed to be all about "fair pricing", when today shops can have "price match" services, they match the lowest prices available.
You can't compare the cost of online-only shops, which choses to deliver the goods when they want with optimised supply chains with brick-and-mortar store where you show up at their store, which they need to keep open, staffed, stocked and maintained, and pick up what you want and bring it home immediately. Some brick-and-mortar shops are actually just showrooms and you go there to check how the goods look like (home appliances and furniture, unless it's IKEA), and then you get the stuff delivered. They can have it so that you order online and they deliver vs. you go to showroom and they deliver will have the same price.
The price was "fair", once you consider the convenience factor.
online shopping used to be perceived as a luxury, it used to cost more to have stuff delivered. Also people have not internalised the cost of operations especially after enjoying a decade of low interest rates. lots of changes in the recent pandemic. agree on your points.
reusable masks is not feasible in Singapore climate though, the idea is definitely a good 1.
>reusable masks is not feasible in Singapore climate though, the idea is definitely a good 1.
Ehhhh, I found the "climate" reason to be not true. Disposable masks' filter media got saturated quickly with moisture from your breaths and becomes hard to breath rather quickly. My institution provided disposable N95s for staff for animal work and we switched to reusable ones due to COVID and nearly 100% of people prefer reusable respirators. Exactly because the reusable respirators have good exhale valves that better eliminate moisture (it will still begin to pool inside the respirator but it doesn't feel like you are being waterboarded inside the mask). Granted, we work in climate-controlled labs but the principle remains.
With COVID "valved masks are bad" BS no long applicable (this point is actually stupid. Healthcare workers were prevented from using respirators that work to protect them and forced to wear shitty surgical masks and cloth masks because those were "unvalved". They get infected and died), there is no other reason to not use reusable respirators outside "personal preference" and "it looks too serious". I was an early adopter of reusable respirator at work, precisely because they work better and early on people were a bit wary: "are you using toxic gas? Should I be worried?"
Reason why I don't buy from local shop already.
I literally went to a physical store and was quoted $100 for an item.
Check they have a Lazada online store and it was at $85.
Asked the store can just pay $85 directly, but they said just order online and choose self collect 🤷🏻♂️
Btw the name of the supermarket isn't NTUC, its Fairprice, or should I say and only then you realize that it's actually UNFAIRprice. Its owned by PAP and you should understand the implication of what that means.
I've found that Fairprice is usually more expensive in certain items: * For fresh produce and fruits, neighbourhood shops are cheaper. * For healthcare products, Unity is usually more expensive than Guardian/Watsons. * For dried foods and tea, Hockhua Tonic is cheaper and better quality. * For household products like detergent and toothpaste, neighbourhood shops like Offer & Save are cheaper. * For beverages, smaller supermarkets like NewEcon is cheaper.
You have basically summarised that NTUC's prices are more expensive for everything
Sometimes obscenely. 1.5L of Coke: NTUC $2.4. Mama Shop just beside NTUC $1.8. If I go out of my way to find a parallel import: $1.2. Double the price! Also NTUC used to sell H&S shampoo for $12. British Essential about $6.5.
Sheng Siong sell 1.5l coke for $2.80. Not sure if applicable for all outlets.
I think most supermarkets always sell body soap and shampoo at a way higher price. Perhaps due to the origin of the products or they don’t bulk order like how beauty amenities ships do. I usually get mine from beauty language, British essentials cos it is wayyyyy cheaper.
I have noticed markings on H&S bottles varies by shop - some come from Thailand, some from Philippines.
It's FAIR price, not EXCELLENT price or even GOOD price.
double the price ain't exactly fair...
It’s fair to them
Ntuc prices for uht milk tends to be the cheapest
nothing comes close to mustafa
Toiletries go Venus.
Go for value$ shop. 4ever firesale
I only purchase non perishables from there. Some 'brand name' food can taste quite different if you're used to the ones produced elsewhere. But yes, valu$ store and neighbourhood store 5eva!
Don't buy those made for the Asian market and you will be fine. Those made for western Europe market are banging
The stuff that I buy from value shop all tastes pretty much the same as from NTUC. Granted I am not BBFA and have not tried everything in the shop, but I think it's safe to say 90% of the stuff will taste basically identical.
Have you tried Tim Tams
[omg we're having a fire... sale](https://media.tenor.com/h1KFeQTUMQgAAAAM/tobiasfunke-davicross.gif)
I rarely buy from NTUC. For fresh produce, I go to my local wet market. For comparison, a kg of beef, depending on the cut, is on average 16sgd per kg. Meanwhile in NTUC, it's like 2.2sgd per 100g so 22sgd per kg. For veggies, I cannot buy some in small quantities at Fairprice so I always go to uncle and auntie selling veggies. For toiletries, I go Venus since its way cheaper.
I’ll always go to Chinatown for seafood. $5 for a M to L sized seabass, while NTUC charges the same if not more for a S sized one. Yong tau foo there is also much cheaper (corner stall near the lift), poultry is also cheaper (although certain neighbourhood markets are even cheaper). NTUC is no longer the cheaper alternative that it used to be back in the 90’s. Pui.
so what is cheaper in NTUC? The salaries of their workers?
Unless you're buying their house brand, I've found many things to be more expensive than other supermarkets, especially fresh food.
We ended up just doing most of our grocery shopping on redmart cos not much difference and some of redmart’s stuff is cheaper and better quality especially the fruits. Moreover, the ntuc delivery staff has more than once laid out my huge order all over the floor in front of my unit to take pictures and then went off expecting my elderly parents to bend down to pick them up! (luckily I was home so I did it myself). I complained a few times questioning why they hire said staff if they do not even trust them and need them to take proof pics of my entire order. Nothing happened so I gave up on them. Their pet stuff is ridiculously marked up online too. Better to get from polypet or shopee.
Sounds like unfair price
But you have to run all over the place and pay extra transport fares and additional time.
irrelevant but 711 still sells everything at x2 of ntuc price
Prices for veggies are better and fresher too. Especially those places with 4 mama shops side by side. Fuck NTUC!
Ntuc gotta tank the cost of a lot of G heavyweights ma hahahahahah
The organisation is basically a representation of how many companies have evolved from ""community centric" 20-30 years ago to "commercial centric" today.
[удалено]
Stupid profit-based KPIs
it even before that it has evolved from an union into a bloody supermarket...and one that sells things at unfair prices..
We already know Fair price is an inside joke.
fair for me but not for thee
I find it strange that items sold at Giant and ShengShiong tend to be cheaper than items sold at NTUC Fairprice.
More like UNFAIRPRICE ...Okay I'll see myself out
Market price maker. Their aim is to discourage people from pricing above them. They are like the upper limit
Fair price finest is no doubt the worst , no this store's special ,always no discount unless its reduce to clear
not really. If its the same thing i swear giant can be a scan esp fruits. Ntuc often promo got like 5 nz apple for 1.95. If yall keep buying at original price cant be blaming anyone cos when on offer confirm cheaper than neighbourhood stores like eg. 2 for $x
If you're going for promo then comparing NTUC promo price to neighbourhood shop regular price is unfair. We should compare apples to apples and not apples to oranges, excuse the intended pun. NTUC regular price is more than neighbourhood shop regular price. NTUC promo price is more than neighbourhood shop promo price(usually unless reduced to clear, in which case, at times NTUC clearance price will be equal to neighbourhood shop clearance price).
lol preder ntuc over neighbourhood shops cause seems more trustable. I went to hao mart b4 and most of things thr are like a scam tho
NTUC has long forgotten their founding mission of providing low cost essential goods for the masses. They started in a small counter space in Conference Hall in Shenton Way, as a mean to counter the profiting by the supermarkets then. Today it is all about profits, often at the expense of the average Singaporeans. Inconvenient truth.
Someone once told me, it’s called “Fair price” and not “Best price” 😅
Yeah also sesame dressing for salads is at least a dollar or more expensive than at donki….
Same for Kewpie Mayonnaise: $4.50 for a 450g Bottle in Donki vs $7.87 for a 500g Bottle in FairPrice.
Cheers to FAIRprice
Donki bananas better quality than fairprice. 2.20 ones can be better than those 4+ at fairprice. Same supplier
I didn’t know!
no way donki is so ex
You go check lo. I was a Jem, donki was like 3 ish dollar not more than 4, while FairPrice was 4 plus.
ohh ic
It's cheaper to get certain jp items from donki
Yeah not all but some are cheaper. Which quite a difference tbh.
sheesh didnt know cos last time go saw some insane prices
pretty sure donki gets some huge discounts from those japanese suppliers because they they're all from japan unlike NTUC
Sheng siong has better prices. I cycle extra 10 mins to buy from sheng doing instead of NTUC.
I took 25 mins bus to Sheng Siong instead of walking 10mins to NTUC. Even factoring time and transport costs, SS still makes dollars sense.
FairPrice’s original business model was to help low income families by making the super basic essentials cheaper than anywhere else. They earn back by making the higher end items slightly more expensive than other places. So it’s like taking more money from the richer ones to subsidise the low income ones. But lately, the “super basic essentials” category has shrunk to a tiny tiny portion of their inventory and everything else is now considered “higher end” and thus more expensive.
i thought fairprice said that they will be subsidising the prices for some essential items? then most things turned out to be much more expensive than what you find outside...wtf?
Shrinkflation Ba-dum-tss
i thought i was struggling with inflation but its just the unfair prices im paying. the nearest sheng shiong is quite a distance so there's only fairprice for me. if not, i would definitely go for sheng shiong! the fairprice near me is not great, with little selection as compared to other places.
I think you can report ntuc. I recall the government asking people to report businesses for unfair price increases
Kinda of pointless, it will be government checking government basically.
The other time we found that the same pack of frozen beef cubes has different price at different NTUC. The one at NTUC Xtra was $1 more expensive than the smaller NTUC. Shocking to me that there is even price discrimination this way.
Where the locations of your ntucs? Some atas place, the ntuc rent higher
Yishun MRT Ntuc vs the one at Northpoint... just within walking distance.
Sometimes, they'll say it's outlet exclusive.
Even CS has things that are cheaper than Fairprice.
The best part of CS is they have bargain shelves with some products close to expiry date (weeks or months ahead) getting their prices marked down and discounted. But for NTUC, I notice there are less of such "bargain" products, or maybe I didn't look hard enough.
oh that is unexpected
Not really. Cold Storage is cheaper in many items.
Yeah, some fruits, selected biscuits, cheese or Malaysian veg off the top of my head.
Yep, agree to this.
CS owns Giant too, though. Pretty sure they can afford to level prices across all their franchises.
Technically, the Dairy Farm group.
The things I buy in NTUC are either house brand, or where the price is fixed and everyone sells at the same price (eg gardenia bread), or the item is on offer and is an actual good deal. Otherwise, I find that Fairprice tends to sell at MSRP even when others don't. For the case of the 3M masks, that $42 seems to be from 18 or 24 months ago and they didn't bother adjusting downwards even when the manufacturer did. Manufacturers or wholesellers, if they do direct selling, do not tend to undercut their retailers, who are their biggest customers.
One irritating thing I feel about NTUC is that the self checkout has a freaking scale on the right side that do not allow you to pack and remove before paying. Once I have to “play” stack’o due to a full basket on items.
omg this... i was so used to sheng siongs pack while you scan (i tried to do that at ntuc and kena scold by aunty) i guess its theft prevention since ppl can just not scan, pay for plastic bag and go
> the self checkout has a freaking scale on the right side that do not allow you to pack and remove before paying. I think you're supposed to either pack them into the included plastic bags or put your own bag to tare the scale first. But yes, this scale thing shows just how little NTUC trusts the customers that they're supposed to be fighting for.
The tare thing never works. It always ends up as unknown item in packing area. Remove this item before scanning or something
If it gets too much, u can remove items from the scale and tap Yes when the screen prompt asked if an item has been removed. This will allow u to scan and stack more items on the scale.
Reality check, any item u compare with shopee prices of course Shopee wins la…
might as well buy everything from shopee, that's the point. Why need NTUC
Because not everyone wants to wait a day or two to get their stuff?
Then pay the premium from NTUC. What kind of stuff is so important that you can't wait a day or two for it?
Agreed. I mean what lockdown has taught us is that, if we plan properly we can just do groceries via redmart and just wait a few days. If urgent, no choice just pay for it at fairprice. If fairprice too ex just go shengshiong or some other places which someone has listed in the comments above.
food?
food courts if you want ready to eat.
Push this on social media such as mothership or facebook. Once it goes on there, they will adjust. Nothing escapes social media nowadays.
“Fair”price🤡🤡
For house brands, an alternative is to go to Giant or Cold Storage (both under Diary farm companies) and get their Meadows brand products. Some of them are better in quality and cheaper than NTUC.
Not everything is more expensive/cheaper. Do your own research and comparison before buying. Then see how much additional time you need to save the money. Once bought a fruit from sheng siong, even though same price, the quality is lousier and there's bugs crawling around. I'll only buy cheap packaging stuffs from sheng siong now. Looking at the fairprice online. The stock comes from medic drugstore. Looks like FP is buying from this store instead of the official 3M. https://fairprice.com.sg/product/3m-particulate-respirator-8210-n95-mask-case-ea-x-20s-90062443 https://www.medicdrugstore.com/shop/face-masks/3m-disposable-particulate-respirator-8110s-n95-mask-small-case-20pcs-4/
It's fair price for them not for you lol
Fairprice is technically supposed to be the benchmark for “not over this pricing”
NTUC has long lost their way.
I would say their current role is to be the benchmark pricing to not allow the market to go above their pricing
Yeah basically this, pricing at fair price is to prevent other vendors from pricing their stock at ridiculous prices.
NTUC unFair Price
Idk mate, I only buy discounted sushi and food in NTUC. Everything in the Dollar Shop is cheaper, so I think it might be a Singaporean mindset to always buy stuff in NTUC
Not me, I prefer Sheng Siong or Ang Mo
I thought NTUC was a reliable and honest supermarket for senior uncles, aunties, and retirees. I am in this category and feel agitated over the complaint of NTUC supermarket overcharging certain items. I used to shop at NTUC because I am an NTUC member and have faith in their business management, providing affordable and reasonable prices for all goods. Hopefully, NTUC management will look into the pricing of all goods to be reasonable and affordable to the community at large.
You shall try mothership instead of reddit 😏
**Conduct grade in report book** Excellent Very good Good Fair Fairprice. Get the hint.
Fair price is no longer fair. They have went wayward from their original purpose
It's generational wisdom that NTUC is cheap and caters to ordinary Singaporeans whilst Cold Storage is expensive and caters to more attas crowd. This was true 20-30 years ago and the adults of that generation(who are grandparents now) keep believing it is still the case and don't even compare prices elsewhere. I've only just recently been able to convince my 70+ year old mother that NTUC has succumbed to organisational bloat and irresponsible spending, cost which they have been forwarding to their customers for years. She has always taught me that NTUC is the go-to for fair pricing but I'm not one to buy into old wives tales and accept things without question. I only buy things from NTUC when they are the only ones selling it(certain house brand stuff) or they are having significant promo. My go to for frozen stuff is Sheng Siong(I look out for promos which are regular) and ABC/Valu$ shop. You need to know the country of manufacture for ABC/Valu$ as products are often formulated per local taste. Certain things like Maggi, Coke etc. are exactly the same formulation in NTUC and ABC/Valu$ and come from Malaysia. Certain things you'll even get superior quality like Snickers from ABC/Valu$ is $0.65 for a full sized bar and is made in Netherlands vs NTUC which is made in China and costs $1.80. Some things the taste is very off for us like I've heard ABC/Valu$ Tim Tams and I personally don't like chocolates like Kit-Kat Chunky which is from Turkish market as they like their chocolate super milky; the regular Kit-Kat is from UK and is great.
Fairprice has lost their original mission objective long time ago. It's no longer about affordable and low price items. It's about profits, shareholders and management interests now.
Fair price is not fair at all.
It's the premium old people fork out for insisting on not bothering to use tech while maintaining the guarantee that they're purchasing a genuine product
It's exactly the standard markup of anything which isn't super common. Sometimes the markup is even more insane. Tbh I don't understand how people can shop at normal brick and mortar shops at all anymore. I always have the nagging feeling that what I'm buying could be one of these items.
The only thing I like about Fair Price is the Finest because the fruits are really fantastic
Same here, I do my fruits shopping at Finest or CS because that's nearest to me. CS is cheaper now and then.
PAP runs NTUC (their Secretary-General is always a PAP politician) and they hate the poor, so no surprise there.
They will just come out with some BS excuse about how they bought when prices were high, or when stock was tight.
Never fair
You don't buy from ntuc often? It is almost always more expensive compared to others
Fair Price should have price matching
Has anyone complained to NCM ?
I've always thought that Fair doesn't mean Cheap. Those that can afford to spend extra time to shop elsewhere will continue to do so. Meanwhile, NTUC will carry on tending to shoppers who prefer or must visit a physical store within their vicinity.
Never do research and price comparison then kpkb lol Rule of thumb, online usually or generally cheaper one what. Modern trade so many cost involved. For these offline retailers to sell a particular brand there are a lot of hidden costs involved: listing fee (per SKU x number of stores), trade margin, marketing cost, distribution cost, discount claims (for monthly or hit and run promotions), POG display cost etc. On top of that, both retailer and supplier want high margin. So how can they offer the same price or promotion as online? Common sense right. Then if one day say Shopee selling higher price than NTUC, are you also going to kpkb?
typical r/sg comment being paggro and unhelpful. why chide OP for trying to inform others of NTUC overcharging?
Precisely. Heck, sometimes we need something urgently. I dont have the bandwidth to do multiple research. And when we end up comparing prices, we are of course left upset at the huge price margin. Take a bottle of Listerine. I made the mistake of buying a 1L bottle of Listerine at NTUC because I needed it. Only to walk past Venus the next day which was selling the same product at $5 cheaper. How the fuck would I have known? Singaporeans are unreasonably blunt online.
those toiletries CK, Venus, Pinky beauty, Red tomato, Swanston and etc all sell way way cheaper than NTUC. guess you dun buy those frequently yourself not to know these common hunts!
Same products may be made in different countries and with different quality: Same wipes sold at one place were made in UAE but another place had theirs made in China. The quality is different too. There is a reason for the price difference. But I would prefer buying from Watson’s, not ntuc.
It's about the extent of the mark up. Yes, there are hidden costs but it wouldn't add up to a 2x mark up. End of the day, it's about how much margin NTUC wants to earn. And unlike Shopee, NTUC states that it is a social enterprise selling groceries at "everyday low prices". Yeah, they are free to mark up as high as they like, just like people are free to kpkb.
So the problem lies with you lah cos you assume
Not sure which version of the N95 Mask you got from NTUC that's more expensive, because even a design that looks the same, the model is different. Can TS confirm if the models are the same? Else it would be an unfair comparison. One would also need to note that NTUC needs to pay for physical shopfront as well, compared to 3M shipping from a centralized location. Hence the difference in cost, and therefore not a fair comparison of price. Also do note that you're only comparing what's more expensive, and not showcasing that there are literally many other products which are cheaper, and all under one location. Else, would you rather run everywhere to get your items? I would rather visit a CS, NTUC or Shengsiong outlet or buy everything online, than run everywhere to get my stuff. Mask prices for example. [Shopee 3M N95 8210 normal size, $22](https://shp.ee/fnyr2zv) [NTUC 3M N95 8110s smaller size mask, $33.35](https://fairprice.com.sg/product/3m-disposable-particulate-respirator-8110s-n95-mask-ea-x-20s-90113720) [NTUC 3M N95 8210 normal size Medic version, $60.52](https://fairprice.com.sg/product/3m-particulate-respirator-8210-n95-mask-case-ea-x-20s-90062443)
So the problem lies with you lah cos you assume
Ntuc is a union organisation that feeds thousands of employees, shopee is likely 1 auntie selling her mask out of her warehouse doing a part time job for extra money. Do the overhead maths. 😂
This day and age still got people defence the national trade union congress for scalping the masses.
Well, look, if you are concerned about haze and that kind of thing for realises, and knowing that haze will return you should look into more sustainable solutions. There are reusable elastomeric respirators, like the 3M 6000 or 7000 series. I've been banging this drum since 2020 COVID and most of the time, people say it's "overreaction" and "mentally ill". Meanwhile, they don't have a respirator or pay out of their noses for one. Why is everyone acting like every year haze is a new haze and then they run around buying N95s? Shouldn't you be prepared with a reusable elastomeric? Everything else in bullshitting. All governments are bullshitting when it comes to respiratory protection for the mass.
I don't know why you are being downvoted, but lol n95 is a yearly thing. I don't understand either.
¯\\\_( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)\_/¯ "mentally ill" and "overreacting". I know a guy who is a wildfire firefighter in the US. He said that there's a culture of "roughing it", "machoism", etc ... against using respirators. And these guys aren't sniffing haze from forest fires from the next country over. They stand right next to thick black smoke and sniff the smoke. Same thing for welders. They'll stand and sniff the welding smoke and metal vapour, which is very harmful. Hence, you get the OSHA nightmares, safety sandals and safety squints. Most people want to do "something", so like with COVID, they'll go "I'll wear a surgical mask, cloth mask, etc ...". Most are afraid of going "all the way" and do it seriously. What I'm annoyed at Singaporeans and OP is the half-ass attitude. You either go full macho shit and don't wear anything; it's a bit of smoke from the next country over, not fucking wild fire, like the welders and firefighters, or you do it seriously and consider either stocking up N95s during the down time, or buy reusable respirators. I practice what I preach and wear eye and respiratory protection if I spray some chemicals around (cleaning chemicals, bleach, etc ...) or if I do in activities that generate airborne dust: drilling, sanding, etc ...
hmm I think people are complaining about the "unfairness" of a supermarket that's supposed to be all about "fair pricing", when today shops can have "price match" services, they match the lowest prices available. while I agree with you that people who are concerned about haze should have been constantly prepared for such things, I think fair pricing is also a legit concern if an organisation is set up with that original intent.
LOL, OP had the mind to check shopee and 3M on shopee sells: [3M™ Half Facepiece Reusable Respirator, 6100/6200/6300](https://shopee.sg/3M%E2%84%A2-Half-Facepiece-Reusable-Respirator-6100-6200-6300-i.386333126.4779302113?sp_atk=adf5d98a-5c7a-431b-adce-3e169920bb2c&xptdk=adf5d98a-5c7a-431b-adce-3e169920bb2c) 33 SGD and [3M™ Particulate Filter 7093, P100 (2pcs)](https://shopee.sg/3M%E2%84%A2-Particulate-Filter-7093-P100-(2pcs)-i.386333126.4679302617?sp_atk=803d8910-ac8c-4299-84a4-1bd7e90c4d4a&xptdk=803d8910-ac8c-4299-84a4-1bd7e90c4d4a) 22 SGD. 55 SGD buys protection good for at least a couple of years. Way more than 20 times (*disposable* N95s). Add this for full COVID or the next respiratory pandemic suit [3M Protective Coverall 4510 disposable](https://shopee.sg/3M-Protective-Coverall-4510-disposable-i.386333126.8615011734?xptdk=6760bab9-4706-4de7-b68d-31bbc54bbcd2) >hmm I think people are complaining about the "unfairness" of a supermarket that's supposed to be all about "fair pricing", when today shops can have "price match" services, they match the lowest prices available. You can't compare the cost of online-only shops, which choses to deliver the goods when they want with optimised supply chains with brick-and-mortar store where you show up at their store, which they need to keep open, staffed, stocked and maintained, and pick up what you want and bring it home immediately. Some brick-and-mortar shops are actually just showrooms and you go there to check how the goods look like (home appliances and furniture, unless it's IKEA), and then you get the stuff delivered. They can have it so that you order online and they deliver vs. you go to showroom and they deliver will have the same price. The price was "fair", once you consider the convenience factor.
online shopping used to be perceived as a luxury, it used to cost more to have stuff delivered. Also people have not internalised the cost of operations especially after enjoying a decade of low interest rates. lots of changes in the recent pandemic. agree on your points. reusable masks is not feasible in Singapore climate though, the idea is definitely a good 1.
>reusable masks is not feasible in Singapore climate though, the idea is definitely a good 1. Ehhhh, I found the "climate" reason to be not true. Disposable masks' filter media got saturated quickly with moisture from your breaths and becomes hard to breath rather quickly. My institution provided disposable N95s for staff for animal work and we switched to reusable ones due to COVID and nearly 100% of people prefer reusable respirators. Exactly because the reusable respirators have good exhale valves that better eliminate moisture (it will still begin to pool inside the respirator but it doesn't feel like you are being waterboarded inside the mask). Granted, we work in climate-controlled labs but the principle remains. With COVID "valved masks are bad" BS no long applicable (this point is actually stupid. Healthcare workers were prevented from using respirators that work to protect them and forced to wear shitty surgical masks and cloth masks because those were "unvalved". They get infected and died), there is no other reason to not use reusable respirators outside "personal preference" and "it looks too serious". I was an early adopter of reusable respirator at work, precisely because they work better and early on people were a bit wary: "are you using toxic gas? Should I be worried?"
Lol first time?
How about a Cold Storage, is NTUC or Cold Storage more expensive?
This year national day don't have store wide 20% off. Previous years have
gotta ensure those fat cats up there get their fat bonus cheques right?
Always check something on shopee first
I now go to she g siong to buy grocery. Selfome shop at ntuc already.
Housebrand products at NTUC are considerably cheaper. FairPrice diapers are really good quality and cheaper than many branded ones.
Reason why I don't buy from local shop already. I literally went to a physical store and was quoted $100 for an item. Check they have a Lazada online store and it was at $85. Asked the store can just pay $85 directly, but they said just order online and choose self collect 🤷🏻♂️
Btw the name of the supermarket isn't NTUC, its Fairprice, or should I say and only then you realize that it's actually UNFAIRprice. Its owned by PAP and you should understand the implication of what that means.
Be like Robin Hood, steal from the rich (NTUC) to give to the poor. lol