High street giant Boots was forced to take action following an outcry on social media over the cost of a deodorant can. Shocked by the £6 price tag, one shopper took to Twitter to share an image of the £6 product on a shelf and ask if Boots was 'ok'.
The customer, called Paula Louise, wrote: "Hi @BootsUK, are you ok? It’s just you’re selling a can of deodorant for £6 and I can’t quite believe it." The tweet very quickly captured the attention of thousands, with more than 26k likes and hundreds of comments from surprised - and some maybe not so surprised - shoppers.
The image appeared to show a 200ml can of Dove Advanced Care original deodorant, with the label stating it was on sale for £6 - £3 per 100ml. Masses of people online couldn't believe the amount it was supposedly going for.
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Kelshaw1 replied: "Where was this? It’s outrageous to be honest, how people are supposed to survive with all these huge increases! Did you get a reply from @BootsUK surely it has to be a mistake?" To which Paula responded: "Boots Glasgow Fort."
Itsevangeliaa chimed in: "I wish I could say this is the only place this happens, but it isn't." Shazter74 added: "£6 , shocking , I wouldn't say it was luxury, all the supermarkets are bumping up prices , it getting out of hand."
Katiesouth67 admitted: "I only buy from boots if a 3 for 2 works out cheaper. Absolute rip off when you can walk into Savers, Wilkos, etc and pay less than half that price!" MissCharlieB84 said: "The prices for deodorant have been taking the p*** for a while now but this is madness. Even Superdrug were charging £3.95 for a can of Sure! Used to be £1!!!"
Paula later added: "For the ‘get it cheaper in B&M, why do you shop in Boots’ replies, I don’t buy my toiletries in Boots, I was in getting something for my baby but that’s beside the point, retailers are ripping the piss and capitalising on the cost of living crisis, this just being one example."
Some tried to make light of the situation. Katie Weasel joked: "Just rub an onion in your armpit, it works for me." However, one shopper defended the price tag. Cakefacebrit typed: "This deodorant is THE BEST. All dove spray deodorants work so much better than your traditional deodorant. I’ve been paying this much for years.. No complaints since it works extremely well and lasts a long time."
McFly_Mad appeared unimpressed by Paula's original post: "That is a top shelf luxury item. If you go down the shelves they'll be cheaper. Own brand is on the bottom shelf usually, same shiz cheep as chips. You don't need to buy the luxury item... There's no point in your tweet."
Paula then snapped back to say: "I’m not buying the item Helen. I’m highlighting a basic hygiene product (absolutely not a luxury item) is way overpriced in a cost of living crisis. Boots have now replied that there was a ‘pricing error’…There’s no point in your tweet."
Soon enough, the official Boots help Twitter account commented on Paula's post. A spokesperson, called Simon, tweeted: "Hi Paula thank you for flagging this. This new product has been incorrectly priced in our stores. It should be £4.50 in line with the RRP. We are rectifying this and hugely apologise for the error. Any customer that has paid £6 will be offered a refund for the difference. Simon."
However, it seemed some still weren't impressed by the price. Mike Jennings hit back: "£4.50 is absolutely still a p***take."
Several others took the opportunity to share other items they found going for 'high' prices in other stores. Donna posted an image of Bisto Gravy tubs in ASDA costing £5.50, writing: "This was @asda it’s shocking isn’t it…. When will it end??"
Laurenbramley13 messaged a picture of a 18 pack of mixed Hula Hoop crisps on a Morrisons shelf for £5.25. She said: "I once saw this in @Morrisons," followed by a sarcastic smile emoji. Hackett Driving also uploaded an image of a 240 box of PG Tips teabags, with a £8.90 price tag, simply captioning it: "Co-op yesterday..."
On Boots official website, the can of Dove Advanced Care Anti-Perspirant Aerosol Powder Smooth 200ml is currently priced at £3.79. Elsewhere, shoppers can buy a Dove Advanced Care original deodorant can for £2 at Ocado, £2.10 in Waitrose, £4.50 in Tesco, a Calming Blossom version at Superdrug for £4.19, and a Dove Original Anti-Perspirant Spray 250ml bottle for £2 in Wilkos.
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