As the Christmas season is in full swing, the Consumer Affairs Division (CAD) is committed to helping all consumers make informed and wise decisions while doing their holiday shopping. To this end, the CAD has prepared below a pricing list of select items that are frequently purchased during the Yuletide season. In December 2017 the CAD conducted a price survey in thirty nine (39) supermarkets in twenty (20) areas in Trinidad. A similar exercise was conducted by the Consumer Affairs Unit (CAU) of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) at six (6) supermarkets in Tobago.
It should be noted that there exist two (2) pricing methods for picnic ham. Some supermarkets offer a flat price for a standard-sized ham (bone in and boneless) while other supermarkets may offer a price by weight. These may appear by the pound (lb) or per kilogram (kg). Prices by weight in the list below have been converted to reflect the cost PER POUND. Therefore, when approaching the weighted ham, please remember the following conversions:
454 grams 1 pound
2.2 pounds 1 kilogram
Although two (2) pricing methods exist, there is no general rule of thumb that one method is better than the other. The better method will always be the one that offers the most savings to consumers at the time of purchase. The Division urges consumers to be vigilant, remember your rights and responsibilities during this season and remember that you have the power on your side.
