A picture of vitamins reportedly being sold in Calgary has sparked a huge discussion, with people in disbelief over the price they were being sold for.
Reddit user @Craig-Tinker posted a photo of a 115-pack of Jamieson vitamins being sold for $27.99 with the caption, “Are we just supposed to accept 200% mark ups?”
According to the user, these vitamins allegedly cost a mere $12 last year, however, it was not stated what store the vitamins were found in.
The post soon blew up, and in less than 24 hours, the Reddit post received over 200 comments from people online who shared their two cents on the original user’s question.
Are we just supposed to accept 200% mark ups?
byu/Craig-Tinker inCalgary
“Nope. Don’t buy them. That’s how you show them you don’t accept the mark up. Look for them elsewhere, on sale is another option,” reads the comment with the most upvotes.
“Agreed, I remember during covid superstore starting trying to sell their roasts for around $70, no one bought them and they just sat there, after a month or so they never did it again. Just don’t buy the stuff,” another person wrote in agreement.
Some people offered suggestions on what to do about the items to avoid the high price.
“That price is ridiculously high :((. I would shop around. Not all places can be that gouging!” suggested one user.
Others who advised against buying the vitamins at this price also wrote that prices will continue to rise unless people stop making similar purchases.
“Stop buying overpriced goods. This is the only way we will ever see prices come down,” one user said.
“If you buy them at the new price, you accept the new price and contribute to it being the new normal. It’s up to you,” another person wrote. “Stores have learned that people will accept way higher prices [than] we paid pre-covid. They ARE GOING TO keep trying to raise prices, and will continue doing so until people simply refuse to pay them.”
While many commenters addressed the original user’s question about whether we should accept high markups, one person commented on the wider picture of affordability that the photo points to.
“What these guys like to do now is reduce them down to what it was regular price and call it a ‘sale.’ Huge scam,” the person said.
What do you think of the listed price of the vitamins spotted in Calgary and the general conversation around affordability in Canada? Let us know in the comments below.