By The Weekly Vision Business Desk
Kenyan shoppers are increasingly encountering a frustrating experience at the supermarket checkout, where shelf or promotional prices often fail to match the amount charged at the till. The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) has launched investigations into several major supermarket chains over allegations of misleading pricing practices, highlighting a growing concern for consumers.
These discrepancies, where customers are sometimes charged more than the advertised price and occasionally less, erode consumer trust and may breach competition and consumer protection laws. The investigations come at a time of heightened competition in the retail sector following the collapse of former giants such as Nakumatt and Tuskys, underscoring the pressure on retailers to get pricing right.
The CAK is examining a number of retailers, including Naivas, Carrefour, Quickmart, Magunas, Mathai’s Supermarket, Kisii Mart, Cleanshelf Supermarkets and Shivling Supermarket. The core issue is simple but widespread: shelf or sticker prices failing to match the final amount charged at the till. This practice can mislead shoppers who rely on displayed prices and promotions when making purchasing decisions.
Several high-profile cases have prompted the investigations:
- Carrefour: A shopper was overcharged for a 5kg pack of Dawaat rice that had been advertised as being on promotion. She received a refund after lodging a complaint, and the retailer was warned.
- Naivas: A shopper selected an alcoholic beverage advertised on social media at Sh899 but was charged Sh1,120 at the checkout. The CAK’s investigation into the matter is ongoing.
- Quickmart: A shopper complained of being overcharged for a cooking gas refill compared with the advertised promotional price.
- Magunas: Two customers alleged that certain items were scanned at higher prices than those displayed on the shelf labels.
The CAK has gone beyond responding to individual complaints. Investigators conducted covert purchases to examine retailer-branded products and assess whether prices had been artificially inflated before “discounts” were applied, creating the illusion of greater savings. Labelling breaches have also been identified at Shivling Supermarket, where sugar packets reportedly lacked essential information such as the manufacture date, expiry date and batch numbers, contrary to Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) requirements.
Bread manufacturers have similarly been cited for missing or illegible manufacture dates on their packaging. The CAK has directed them to clearly list ingredients, state the net weight, use “Best Before” dates instead of “Sell By”, and disclose any fortification with vitamins and minerals. This follows a similar investigation conducted by the authority in 2021.
An anonymous retail executive attributed many pricing errors to human mistakes during manual price label updates, noting that discrepancies sometimes work in customers’ favour. However, the repeated nature of the complaints suggests systemic problems rather than isolated oversights.
A broader CAK survey of the retail sector has highlighted widespread concerns, including dual pricing, the sale of expired or unsafe goods, poor labelling, warranty violations, and inadequate handling of customer complaints and product returns.
To date, no formal sanctions have been imposed on any of the retailers, and several investigations remain ongoing. The probes reflect growing consumer awareness and activism in an increasingly competitive retail environment, where supermarket chains are battling for market share following the exit of previously dominant players.
