alan_m wrote
Rod Speed wrote

Ditto. Here they sell it for 10% less than you can
show them it is available from somewhere else for.

In the UK this tends not to work too well.

Corse it does.

No two competing stores will have the exact same item.

I dont buy that with appliances and tools
and stuff like that and that is the price of what
most care about, those higher priced items.

We are in fact seeing amazon.com.au heavily discounting
the Philips Hue lights, switches and sensors and Bunnings
are matching those prices Mostly by repricing their stock
just a couple of cents under the amazon price so they dont
have to sell it to you for 10% less than the amazon price.

Even the manufacturers play the game by having different model numbers on
identical equipment

Yes, we do see a bit of that, but it isnt happening
with the Philips Hue stuff currently.

and/or removing or adding an insignificant feature to make a like for like
price comparison impossible for these "price match" deals.

Sure, but I havent seen anything like that with Microsoft
or Logitech or Philips or Gerni or Karcher stuff.

Perhaps the Bunnings model only worked in Oz because they didn't have the
competition from often nearby outfits such as Screwfix or Toolsatan?

They did with Masters which went bust because they couldnt compete
and with Mitrer 10 and Home Hardware and lots of other chains.

Some supermarkets play the same game with some "branded" food items but
IMO they all seem to be running some unofficial price hike cartel

Thats illegal here under our trade practices act.

as the same items can usually be had much cheaper in supermarkets, or
other retail outlets, that don't play the game.