National Consumer Agency
Personal Care and Over the Counter Medicine
Price Comparison Survey
November 2009
Table of Contents
1
2
3
4
Introduction ............................................................................................................ 2
Supermarket Comparison ............................................................................................. 4
Pharmacy Comparison ................................................................................................. 6
Product Comparisons .................................................................................................. 8
Table of Figures
Figure 1
Figure 2
Supermarket Comparison................................................................................... 4
Pharmacy Comparison ...................................................................................... 6
1
National Consumer Agency
Personal Care and Over the Counter Medicine
Price Comparison Survey
November 2009
1
Introduction
The National Consumer Agency undertook a price check of personal care and over
the counter (OTC) medicine products on Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd
September 2009. This document records the findings of that survey.
The survey covered 117 products sold in 8 leading pharmacy groups, 4
independent pharmacies and the 4 largest supermarket retailers. The list of
products to be surveyed included a number of OTC medicines that can only be sold
in a pharmacy. As a result, any product comparisons between pharmacies and
supermarkets are limited to unrestricted OTC medicines and personal care
products. The products in the survey were chosen to ensure the widest possible
availability and the list was based on extensive groundwork, conducted by the
Agency in July and August 2009.
Tables 1 gives the location of the stores visited for the survey.
Table 1 List of Stores
1
Sam McCauley
2
Mulligan's
3
Hickey's
4
McSweeney (O’ Hara’s)
5
McCabes
6
Bradley's
7
8
Boots
Unicare
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Independent
Independent
Independent
Independent
Tesco
Dunnes Stores
Superquinn
SuperValu (Pettitt’s)
2
National Consumer Agency
Personal Care and Over the Counter Medicine
Price Comparison Survey
November 2009
Mahon Point Shopping
Centre, Cork
Thomastown, Co
Kilkenny
The Square, Tallaght,
Dublin 24
Aungier Street, Dublin
2
North Main Street,
Wexford
Blanchardstown
Shopping Centre,
Dublin 15
Douglas Court, Cork
Blanchardstown
Shopping Centre,
Dublin 15
Dublin 15
Co. Dublin
Kildare
Kilkenny
Finglas, Dublin 11
Newbridge, Co Kildare
Lucan, Co Dublin
Arklow, Co Wicklow
Unlike previous NCA price surveys, items were not scanned through the till in
order to get a receipt for checking and verification purposes. This was to minimise
the imposition on smaller pharmacies who have only one till and/or who do not
have scanning technology. To ensure consistency in the survey this same
methodology was employed across all retailers. Photographs were taken, however,
to provide a factual record.
Known special offers were recorded during the survey. Products with price
reductions were re-adjusted to show the full price (for example a product with a
price reduction of 33% was increased back to 100%). These have been
highlighted, in the accompanying excel worksheets, using red font. Other special
offers, for example “2 for 1’s” are also listed in the excel worksheets.
The price of the products surveyed was the only issue under consideration in
this survey. The extent and quality of customer service (it is noted that advice
including product recommendation is available in pharmacies), opening hours,
store presentation, ambience etc. were not taken into account. It is also
acknowledged that some pharmacies suggest lower cost, generic alternatives to
branded OTC medicines.
The survey conducted by the Agency is a snapshot of the situation with regard to
pricing at a particular time. The Agency notes that a number of the retailers were
starting or were in the middle of price reduction initiatives when the survey was
conducted. In addition, the Agency has been informed by a number of other
retailers that they have also reduced prices since the survey in September.
The supermarket retailers included in this survey have a policy of national pricing.
It is the Agency’s understanding that, for the most part, the pharmacy chains also
have national pricing.
The report is divided into this introduction plus three further sections as follows:

Section 2 presents a comparison of products in the 4 largest supermarket
retailers.

Section 3 contains the results of the survey of 12 pharmacies.

Finally, section 4 presents a comparison of products sold in pharmacies and
supermarkets. It should be noted that due to the wide variation of product types
and sizes it is not possible to compare products across all 16 retailers.
Comparisons are therefore limited to a smaller subset of retailers where
products are available in a minimum of 2 stores. Assessments are made in this
case on individual products as opposed to baskets of goods.
The Agency would like to thank the retailers for their cooperation in the course of
this survey.
3
National Consumer Agency
Personal Care and Over the Counter Medicine
Price Comparison Survey
November 2009
2
Supermarket Comparison
For the data and chart behind this segment of the analysis, see the accompanying
Excel File: Personal Care and OTC Products Price Check Results and the Excel
Sheet: T2 Supermarkets.
The basket of common items in this case was 25 goods surveyed across Tesco,
Dunnes Stores, Superquinn and SuperValu. The cost of this basket was cheapest
in Tesco (€80.85) and dearest in Superquinn (€95.65).
Figure 1
Supermarket Comparison
€100.00
Comparison of 25 Products
€95.65
€95.00
€90.69
€90.00
€85.00
€83.52
€80.85
€80.00
€75.00
€70.00
Tesco
Dunnes Stores
Superquinn
SuperValu
The difference between the cheapest and dearest basket was €14.80 (18.3%).
Only 1 item had an identical price across the 4 stores.
The 5 products with the largest percentage and monetary difference between
cheapest and most expensive were:
95.2% (€1.80) Radox Herbal Bath Muscle Soak 500ml Liquid
(€1.89 Tesco/Dunnes Stores), €3.69 Superquinn)
4
National Consumer Agency
Personal Care and Over the Counter Medicine
Price Comparison Survey
November 2009
74.1% (€1.00) Simple Sensitive Pure Soap 125g x 2
(€1.35 Tesco, €2.35 Superquinn)
60.5% (€1.30) Sure Women Anti Perspirant Spray 150ml
(€2.15 Tesco/Dunnes, €3.45 Superquinn)
59.3% (€2.01) Sensodyne Pronamel 75ml Toothpaste Mint
(€3.39 Tesco/Dunnes Stores, €5.40 Superquinn)
58.7% (€2.40) Centrum Select 50+ Vitamins 30 Tablets
(€4.09 Tesco, €6.49 Superquinn/SuperValu)
5
National Consumer Agency
Personal Care and Over the Counter Medicine
Price Comparison Survey
November 2009
3
Pharmacy Comparison
The Agency attempted to survey a total of 117 items across 12 pharmacies. Due to the
large number of product types, sizes and variations only 15 items were found to be
common across all the outlets surveyed.
See Excel File: Personal Care and OTC Products Price Check Results and the Excel
Sheet: T3 Pharmacies.
On a basket of 15 items Bradley’s Blanchardstown Shopping Centre (€106.31) was the
cheapest, Hickey's The Square, Tallaght (€113.30) was the dearest. This represents a
variation of €6.99 (6.6%).
Figure 2 illustrates the results. It can be seen that overall the independents fair quite well
with the larger chains.
Figure 2
Pharmacy Comparison
Comparison of 15 Products
€114.00
€113.30
€112.00
€110.00
€109.11
€108.23
€108.12
€108.00
€108.75 €108.50
€109.13 €109.15
€109.10
€108.30
€107.24
€106.31
€106.00
€104.00
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€102.00
There were no items with a common price across all pharmacies
The 5 products with the largest percentage and monetary difference between
cheapest and most expensive were:
6
National Consumer Agency
Personal Care and Over the Counter Medicine
Price Comparison Survey
November 2009
31.3% (€1.08) Senokot Senna 20 Tablets
(€3.45 Bradleys, €4.53 Hickeys)
25.0% (€1.11) Alkaseltzer 20 Effervescent Tablets
(€4.44 Bradleys, €5.55 Hickeys/Mulligans/Independent Kilkenny/Independent Co.
Dublin)
19.2% (€1.51) Zantac 75mg 12 Tablets
(€7.86 Bradleys, €9.37 Hickeys)
16.7% (€1.00) Calpol Liquid 2 months+ 140ml
(€5.99 Boots, €6.99 McCabes/McSweeneys/Hickeys/Mulligans/Sam McCauleys
/Independent Kilkenny/Independent Co. Dublin/Independent Kildare/Independent
Dublin 15)
14.1% (€1.33) Motilium 10mg 20 Tablets
(€9.46 Boots, €10.79 Hickeys)
7
National Consumer Agency
Personal Care and Over the Counter Medicine
Price Comparison Survey
November 2009
4
Product Comparisons
This section details the results of a comparison of products sold in all 16
pharmacies and supermarket retailers. Due to the fact that some medicines may
only be sold in pharmacies and the wide variation of product types and sizes it
is only possible to compare 1 product across all 16 retailers (E45 Cream
Dermatological 125g Tub). Comparisons are therefore limited to a smaller subset
of retailers where products are available in a minimum of 2 stores. Assessments are
made in this case on individual products as opposed to a basket of goods, as it
normally the case.
See Excel File: Personal Care and OTC Products Price Check Results and the
Excel Sheet: T1 All Stores. It should be noted in T1 that if a retailer does not
have a product included that does not mean that they do not stock the
product, it merely indicates that the Agency was not able to collect a verified
price for that product on the day of the survey.
The results show that there were significant differences in prices across the
retailers.
The 10 products with the largest percentage difference between cheapest and most
expensive were:
161.6% (€7.90) L’Oreal Paris Recital Preference Hair Colour
(€4.89 Dunnes Stores, €12.79 Independent, Dublin 15).
155.9% (€1.98) Vaseline 100g Tub
(€1.27 Sam MacCauley, €3.25 Independent, Dublin 15).
154.6% (€3.85) Simple Fine Talc 250g
(€2.49 Tesco, €6.34 Independent, Kildare).
144.0% (€1.08) Pears Transparent Soap 125g
(€0.75 Tesco, €1.83 Independent, Dublin 15)
127.6% (€2.87) Johnson Baby Oil 300ml
(€2.25 Tesco/SuperValu, €5.12 Independent, Co Dublin)
122.0% (€3.16) Simple Conditioning Eye Make Up Remover 125ml
(€2.59 Tesco, €5.75 Unicare, Hickeys/Independent Kilkenny)
121.5% (€1.64) Simple Sensitive Pure Soap 125g x 2
(€1.35 Tesco, €2.99 Mulligans/Independent Dublin 15)
8
National Consumer Agency
Personal Care and Over the Counter Medicine
Price Comparison Survey
November 2009
113.6% (€3.85) Sensodyne Pronamel 75ml Toothpaste Mint
(€3.39 Tesco/Dunnes, €7.24 Independent, Dublin 15)
109.7% (€2.14) Sudocream 60g Tub
(€1.95 McCabes, €4.09 Bradleys)
103.9% (€3.43) Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil Liquid High Strength 300ml
(€3.30 McCabes, €6.73 Independent Kildare)
The 10 products with the largest monetary difference between cheapest and most
expensive were:
€7.90 (161.6%) L’Oreal Paris Recital Preference Hair Colour
(€4.89 Dunnes Stores, €12.79 Independent, Dublin 15).
€5.70 (31.6%) Bio Oil Specialist SkinCare 125ml
(€18.05 Tesco, €23.75 McCabes).
€3.85 (154.6%) Simple Fine Talc 250g
(€2.49 Tesco, €6.34 Independent, Kildare).
€3.85 (113.6%) Sensodyne Pronamel 75ml Toothpaste Mint
(€3.39 Tesco/Dunnes Stores, €7.24 Independent, Dublin 15)
€3.43 (103.9%) Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil Liquid High Strength 300ml
(€3.30 McCabes, €6.73 Independent, Kildare)
€3.43 (78.7%) Deep Heat Cream 67g Tube
(€4.36 Tesco/Dunnes Stores, €7.79 McCabes)
€3.24 (29.6%) Bio Oil Specialist Skin Care 60ml
€10.95 Tesco, €14.19 Superquinn)
€3.16 (122.0%) Simple Conditioning Eye Make Up Remover 125ml
(€2.59 Tesco, €5.75 Unicare, Hickeys/Independent Kilkenny)
€3.00 (100.3%) Gillette Fusion Sensitive Skin Shaving Hydra Gel 200ml
(€2.99 Bradleys, €5.99 Mulligans/Sam McCauley)
€2.91 (85.3%) Venos Tickly Cough Mixture 160ml
(€3.41 Tesco, €6.32 McSweeneys/Mulligans)
9
National Consumer Agency
Personal Care and Over the Counter Medicine
Price Comparison Survey
November 2009