There are many stores that offer identical prices in Canada, but when it comes to an impeccable price offer, No Frills is one of the best in the market. Did you know that almost 80% of Canadian shoppers study flyers, promotions and discounts before shopping?
The same 80% of consumers conduct price comparisons online across all categories before making a purchasing decision in a physical location, according to Market Track research. Even if they end up making the final purchase at a store, they always do their research first, I mean price matching before purchasing anything.
Prices are constantly changing in the competitive retail world, especially during the holiday seasons, and truth be told, it can be very frustrating. Obtaining the right prices when shopping then becomes the buyer’s top priority and this is why many Canadians obtain equivalent prices.
With a focus on quality meat and produce, a commitment to the community and low, reliable prices, No Frills offers something extraordinary worth considering.
What is a price match policy?
Price matching is a purchasing policy in which a retailer agrees to match a competitor’s price and this can be done through various mediums such as advertisements, flyers, etc.
For example, a company will allow you to feature a competitor’s ad (with a lower price) and then beat that competitor’s price as long as you follow all of the company’s rules.
How does the no-nonsense price match policy work?
Like any purchase price matching policy, No Frills also does price matching. However, there are ways around this to make it work for you.
Here’s the no-nonsense price match policy:
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No Frills will match the competitor’s price only during the effective date of the competitor’s announcement or within 7 days of the date received.
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The item must be the same brand, size and attributes. Let’s say you want to buy a pair of brown boots at a No Frills store and you find black boots of the same brand at a better price at another retail store. If No Frills doesn’t offer the boots in brown, you probably won’t get an equivalent price.
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For fresh produce, meat and baked goods, No Frills reserves the right to determine a comparable item
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“Geographic sales areas” and “main competitors” are determined solely by No Frills and are based on a number of factors, which may change from time to time.
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Excludes multiple purchases; All the discounts obtained through loyalty programs, for example by purchasing a can of avocado oil at No Frills, you then find the same item at the same price, but offered with an additional can, at a competing store.
If No Frills doesn’t allow bundles, don’t try to convince them, otherwise accept your cross and move on.
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Custom-made items and refurbished items. Used, pre-owned or pre-owned items are absolutely not permitted. Only new goods are mainly taken into consideration
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Products must be in stock at both locations. You can’t price match without being sure the product is carried by both stores.
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There is a limit to the number of products to purchase for each order. No Frills allows a maximum of 4 items per order for each item you wish to price match
Benefits of the No-Frills Price Match Policy
Price matching as a means of marketing makes sense for many reasons:
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This reassures a customer that they have found the lowest price available only because any company willing to price match already has low prices on their stock and would not want to waste a lot of time changing prices.
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Price matching gives you complete control because apparently, you request the price you want from No Frills. Consumer confidence is guaranteed because you are assured of being taken care of
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The idea is to stay ahead of the curve, department stores will offer to price match in order to maintain their business. Additionally, it is quite difficult for them to know when a competitor decides to change prices, so they give you the opportunity to do so.
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No Frills Price Matching can significantly reduce your spending on groceries and other essentials that you purchase regularly.
What is the purpose of price matching?
The main goal of price matching is to pay the lowest possible price for your purchases in a single store, saving you a lot of time and money.
Price Matching Apps and Websites
There are a number of reliable and simple ways Canadians can save money when it comes to price matching when shopping at the grocery store or making other household or personal purchases. The simplest are:
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Price Matching Apps
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Flyers and receipts
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Websites
Price Matching Apps
These are the most commonly used price comparison apps in Canada;
1. Return
Return is one of the most popular flyers, ads, coupons and price comparison apps in Canada. The app gives you access to flyers from over a thousand local stores using your smartphone. All you have to do is search for a specific item, compare prices from multiple stores, and find the one with the lowest sale price.
You can also create a shopping list, add items to it at any time and it automatically syncs with the already created list, you can also share it with your friends and family.
Flipp is free to download on iTunes and Google Play Store.
2. Reebee app
Reebee like Flipp is also a flyer app that allows you to browse all the flyers of grocery stores in your area in a very easy way and compare product prices. Everything is localized, so you only see flyers from the stores closest to you. You can either enter your zip code manually or let your phone’s GPS do it for you.
It is available on the App Store and Google Play.
3. SaleWhale
SaleWhale According to their website, they claim to make price matching at any grocery store quick and easy. They even have a way to alert you when the item you are primarily purchasing is on sale. They are also available on iTunes and Google Play Store.
Flyers and receipts
This option is made available due to the simple fact that not everyone is comfortable with the idea of using a smartphone when it comes to price matching.
Using flyers can also be very simple and easy, because all you need to do is:
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collect your weekly flyers in store
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Look through the flyers and note the best and cheapest deals you want to price match
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so continue shopping
Just keep in mind the rules surrounding each item you want to price match.
Price Match Websites
Using a price comparison website is one of the easiest and most comfortable ways to save money when shopping online. Below are several price comparison websites available in Canada;
Shopbot.ca
Originally launched in 2004, it was designed specifically to bring together concerned Canadian consumers and competitive Canadian retailers.
Shopbot implements its own product search technology to display the most relevant results for customers and the lowest prices.
Shoptoit.ca
A Canadian search company that helps connect businesses to consumers. It’s good for finding good discounted deals.
No-Frills Best Price Policy FAQ
Below is the list of frequently asked questions about the no-nonsense price match policy.
1. Why are there limits on no-frills priced items?
No Frills are entirely or mostly independent stores owned by local businessmen. There is a maximum of 4 items to purchase at a time, which is relatively fair.
2. Can you really save money by no-frills price matching?
In a word, yes. You save time, especially if the store offering the lowest price is far from No Frills.
Sometimes you are offered additional discounts or rewards, saving you even more money.
It’s pretty awesome if you think about it, you get a product at a lower price without needing to go to another store, and the store can keep you as a customer.
3. What happens if a website doesn’t have data from a store whose price I’m willing to match without frills?
One thing to keep in mind is that no price comparison site has access to prices from all stores. They only list information from retailers who have partnered with them and provided access to their product databases.
No store always has the best price on anything.
4. Is changing stores in the name of better price matching worth it?
This is certainly the case. You save time, money and stress and shop more cheaply, all in one place.
They normally have pretty decent sales and their prices are lower than most stores.
5. How can you make the whole process less stressful?
If you do the preparation work precisely in advance, your shopping trip becomes easy and quick,
for successful payment and to save you a lot of money.
6. Is no-nonsense price matching beneficial?
Yes. This can significantly reduce the amount you spend on groceries and other products you purchase regularly.
7. Do the benefits of price matching outweigh the problems one has to go through?
In most cases yes. Since the most important goal is to save as much money as possible.
8. What are the disadvantages of the no-frills price match policy?
Maybe this stresses you out a little. But what is stress compared to saving money?
Last words
The No Frills price match policy is one of the best in the industry.
I also mentioned a list of apps and websites that you can download for free and start saving money by price matching the items you are considering purchasing.
Due to the many rules and restrictions in place in Canada when it comes to price matching, shoppers can get really overwhelmed as it varies from store to store, but knowing what to do and when to do it can make things quite simple and exciting.
If you like the content of this article and find it useful, share it on social media and help spread the word. Also let me know your thoughts and comments below.
