DISCOUNTS FOR SOON TO EXPIRE GROCERIES
DISCOUNTS FOR SOON TO EXPIRE GROCERIES Markdowns in grocery stores are nothing new, but they remain inconsistent. Some groceries slash prices on goods that are about to expire, while others simply throw them away. Worse, there is no widely accepted system in the Philippines that standardizes how these markdowns should work. At first glance, the terms “discount” and “markdown” might appear interchangeable, but they are not. Discounts are generally used as promotional tools—holiday sales, bulk-buy incentives, or rewards for loyalty. Markdowns, on the other hand, are tied specifically to expiry dates. If a can of milk has only a week left before its “best before” date, a markdown would reduce its Suggested Retail Price (SRP) to encourage a sale before it spoils. This practice benefits both grocery owners and consumers. Store owners can still recover some of their investment rather than writing off soon-to-expire goods. Consumers, meanwhile, enjoy savings at the checkout counter. In a time...