Hong Kong consumer watchdog questions supermarkets’ buy one, get one free deals

Hong Kong shoppers may have saved less than they expected – or nothing at all – through supermarkets’ “buy-one-get-one-free” and bulk-buy promotions, the city’s consumer watchdog has warned, urging residents to compare unit prices instead of relying on promotional labels.

The Consumer Council on Monday released the findings of a survey of 222 products sold by AEON, ParknShop and Wellcome between September 2025 and July this year. It found that the actual discounts offered in some promotional campaigns were less attractive than consumers might expect.

During the period, 48 products at two supermarkets were offered under bulk-buy promotional campaigns, such as ‘Buy 1 Get 1 Free’, ‘Choose Any 2 and Get 1 Free’ and ‘Get 1 More for $1’.

But for some of these products, the single-item price during the promotional period was higher than during non-promotional periods, meaning the actual discount fell well short of the roughly 50 per cent consumers might expect, according to the council.

The findings add to long-standing concerns over whether supermarket multi-buy promotions always offer the savings suggested by their labels.

“We hope the supermarkets in Hong Kong and grocery stores can list their unit price on their offline or online shops to make it easier for consumers to choose the products they want,” said Alaina Shum Jiu-fai, the watchdog’s chief executive.

“Hong Kong is a free market, and the merchants have the flexibility to adjust the prices anytime, but it’s not a prudent move to adjust the price immediately before the promotion – it will affect the consumers’ confidence.”