4.08pc of the prices picked up by retail-store scanners are wrong, about twice the error rate considered acceptable by the US Federal Trade Commission, says a team led by David M. Hardesty of the University of Kentucky that studied more than 231,000 products scanned over 15 years in the state of Washington. Slightly less than half the errors were overcharges. An intriguing finding: Error rates are higher in affluent neighborhoods, suggesting that stores may be more careful about mistakes in areas where shoppers are more price-conscious, the researchers say.

(Source: Journal of Retailing)

Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, December 22th , 2014

Opinion

Editorial

Real powers
Updated 06 Jun, 2024

Real powers

PTI seems to be repeating one of the biggest mistakes it made during its last tenure, when it sought to sideline its rivals.
Airline safety
06 Jun, 2024

Airline safety

WHILE the European Union has yet to issue a formal statement in this regard, it seems that Pakistan has remained...
Violent crime wave
06 Jun, 2024

Violent crime wave

THE violent crime wave that has been afflicting Karachi for the past few years shows no sign of abating, as lives...
A sobering election?
Updated 05 Jun, 2024

A sobering election?

India should reach out to Pakistan, and the state should respond positively to any Indian overtures.
Out of time
05 Jun, 2024

Out of time

TODAY, on World Environment Day, we must confront a sobering truth: an alarming 40pc of the planet’s land is...
Lower inflation
05 Jun, 2024

Lower inflation

AS anticipated, the dramatic drop in May’s inflation figures to 11.8pc — the lowest in 30 months — has ...