Hong Kong Consumer Council rolls out price tracker upgrades in digital revamp, with motorists offered real-time data for fuel
- Price watch upgrades to Consumer Council’s online platforms will help shoppers make better decisions, according to watchdog
- Online comparison of supermarket items made easier and motorists can now see petrol price fluctuations as they happen, the council says
Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has rolled out a raft of new features as part of a digital revamp, upgrading its groceries price tracker to make it easier to compare products while adding real-time data to its app for motorists seeking cheaper fuel.
The updates are the latest to be rolled out by the Consumer Council since the end of August and also include improvements to its complaints submission platform.
The Online Price Watch website has been freshened up with a design which the council says refines the user experience for filtering exact product types for comparison.
The price tracker compares hundreds of household items sold across seven local retailers – Wellcome, ParknShop, Marketplace by Jasons, Watsons, Mannings, AEON and DCH Food Mart. Shoppers can browse products ranging from biscuits, rice and baby milk formula to pet food.
Hongkongers have encountered steeper shopping bills during the Covid-19 pandemic, with supply chain issues helping to drive prices up at the city’s major supermarkets.
The council’s annual survey published in April found that the average cost of a basket of 230 items sold in 2020 in Wellcome and ParknShop – the city’s two biggest supermarket chains – increased 1.9 per cent compared with the previous year, well above the 0.3 per cent inflation rate.
Peter Shiu Ka-fai, the lawmaker representing the wholesale and retail sector, said supermarkets had also taken a hit from higher logistics costs and sourcing issues brought on by the pandemic.