supermarket price fixing for sma infant milk?

ThumbRemote

flashnazia wrote: »

Baby milk is so expensive and the law prohibits companies from having promotions on it, no doubt at the request of the breastfeeding lobby. Thanks to them the baby milk companies make even more money out of parents.

What an odd comment.

I believe the manufacturers and retailers are prohibited from doing anything to promote baby milk. This seems quite sensible, otherwise there'd be nothing to stop companies actively trying to prevent mothers breastfeeding.

However they are quite able to sell it at any price they wish. So the fact it's expensive is entirely down to the manufacturer or retailer, and has nothing to do with the restriction on promoting it.

RosiPossum

It's against the law to promote formula as a substitute for breastfeeding. That includes vouchers, offers, loyalty points (can't buy with Boots Advantage Card points) etc.
While I do understand the basic reasoning behind it, people who are unable to breastfeed have to pay ridiculous amounts to ensure their baby is fed. People who choose to bottle feed are seen as just that - choosing. I guess they think it is like using private healthcare when the NHS is there.

Apparently when I was a baby, my mum was willing and able to breastfeed, but I refused it after about 14 weeks and she was upset.

I think the law about not promoting formula as a substitute for breastfeeding maybe does help some people make the choice to breastfeed, but many more to just feel terribly guilty about choosing to bottle feed.

RosiPossum

flashnazia wrote: »

Baby milk is so expensive and the law prohibits companies from having promotions on it, no doubt at the request of the breastfeeding lobby. Thanks to them the baby milk companies make even more money out of parents.

It's both a competitive market and an oligopoly/monopoly (I'm not sure of the market share). The companies have to keep prices low enough that people can actually afford it but because there are so few competitors, they can all keep their prices fairly high and people can't go elsewhere. When it gets to what matters for the companies, it's profit, not parents' savings

ThumbRemote

RosiPossum wrote: »

It's against the law to promote formula as a substitute for breastfeeding. That includes vouchers, offers, loyalty points (can't buy with Boots Advantage Card points) etc.
While I do understand the basic reasoning behind it, people who are unable to breastfeed have to pay ridiculous amounts to ensure their baby is fed. People who choose to bottle feed are seen as just that - choosing. I guess they think it is like using private healthcare when the NHS is there.

Apparently when I was a baby, my mum was willing and able to breastfeed, but I refused it after about 14 weeks and she was upset.

I think the law about not promoting formula as a substitute for breastfeeding maybe does help some people make the choice to breastfeed, but many more to just feel terribly guilty about choosing to bottle feed.

As I said above, the price of formula milk has got nothing whatsoever to do with the restrictions on promoting it. They could still choose to sell it at a lower price; they just can't do that as a 'special offer'. The expensive cost is down to the manufacturers or retailers setting the price at that level.

peachyprice

Tracy- wrote: »

Has anyone else noticed Asda, Tesco, and Sainburys have increased the price of SMA baby milk (all at £9.39) in the past few days? No doubt they'll be rolling it back in a few weeks, robbing sods!!!:mad:

Cheapest place is kiddicare £8.85. :T

Even at £9.39 is not actually that bad, it was £7 a tin 12 years ago so hasn't gone up nearly as much as everything else.

RosiPossum

ThumbRemote wrote: »

As I said above, the price of formula milk has got nothing whatsoever to do with the restrictions on promoting it. They could still choose to sell it at a lower price; they just can't do that as a 'special offer'. The expensive cost is down to the manufacturers or retailers setting the price at that level.

See my second post. I was just explaining (as others have done) about the promotions. My second post was about why the prices are high.

fluffnutter

flashnazia wrote: »

Baby milk is so expensive and the law prohibits companies from having promotions on it, no doubt at the request of the breastfeeding lobby. Thanks to them the baby milk companies make even more money out of parents.

There are very good reasons for not promoting formula. Increasing the number of breastfed babies saves the NHS millions, both in terms of short-term gains - fewer babies with asthma, eczema, gastrointestinal problems - and long-term gains, e.g. reduced obesity.

It's every parent's choice how to feed their baby, but anyone choosing formula needs to understand that, due to wider public health policy, promotions aren't available. This is one of a number of initiatives to encourage women to breastfeed. Obviously there are those who inevitably suffer - women who've tried and failed for example.

The simple answer, I believe, is to prescribe formula, i.e. medicalise its use. If this could be a world-wide approach it might solve other problems like the aggressive marketing of baby milk in poorer nations where no clean water is available with which to make up feeds. There's no place for profit in the fact that babies have to eat, IMO.

fluffnutter

withabix wrote: »

That rule doesn't apply to 'follow-on milk', which is why there are lots of promotions and advertising...

Plus it's the same stuff anyway. So if you want your promotions, just buy follow-on from day one. Companies will always find a way to reduce costs and increase profits. They produce the same milk (keeps costs down) and bung it in a different container that they can then market to oblivion (increases profits).

notanewuser

peachyprice wrote: »

Even at £9.39 is not actually that bad, it was £7 a tin 12 years ago so hasn't gone up nearly as much as everything else.

Litre for litre it's also cheaper than cows' milk.

ThumbRemote

fluffnutter wrote: »

Plus it's the same stuff anyway. So if you want your promotions, just buy follow-on from day one. Companies will always find a way to reduce costs and increase profits. They produce the same milk (keeps costs down) and bung it in a different container that they can then market to oblivion (increases profits).

They may be similar, but they are certainly not identical. There is no way you should give a baby anything other than the age appropriate baby milk without medical advice.

For info:
http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=265352701
http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=265350225