AVOID LAST MINUTE. A Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) personnel monitors prices of Noche Buena products in a retail store in Sibalom town, Antique on November 17, 2020. The DTI advised consumers to do early shopping to avoid crowding in shopping malls and grocery stores. (PNA photo by Annabel Consuelo J. Petinglay)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Antique provincial office is reminding consumers to do their Christmas shopping early to avoid crowding in shopping malls and grocery stores.
Glen Fernando, DTI Antique provincial office Trade and Industry Specialist, said that since most of the government employees have received their bonuses, then they could already do their Christmas shopping and no longer wait for a few days before December 25.
“Consumers are advised no longer to wait for the last minute shopping,” he said.
Starting November 17 they intensified their monitoring of Noche Buena products to make sure that prices of commodities like the 500 grams Swift Noche Buena Ham will not exceed the Suggested Retail Price (SRP), which is PHP135.00, and the Del Monte Spaghetti 400 grams at PHP52.25.
“So far in our monitoring of the Noche Buena products the major stores in the province had not exceeded the SRP,” Fernando said.
“We have no specific day for the monitoring but we will do it weekly,” he added.
Aside from doing early shopping, consumers are also told to be wise buyers. "As wise buyers, they should not be brand conscious but grab the opportunity to buy products that are sold as premium in pack,” he said.
An example of premium in pack items is the spaghetti noodles that are sold in bundle with sauce and cheese or the salad macaroni with mayonnaise and creamer, which could be cheaper as compared when they are bought as single items.
Fernando said that shopping malls and stores will get a letter of inquiry if ever they will be found to have exceeded the SRP. (PNA)
