$11: Is this the most expensive block of Whittaker’s in NZ?

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A block of 250g Whittaker's chocolate on sale at Pak'nSave versus duty-free.

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A block of 250g Whittaker’s chocolate on sale at Pak’nSave versus duty-free.

Airports are a pretty infamous money pit for many travellers.

Simple items such as a flat white, a bar of Snickers or a ham and cheese toastie seem to come with additional digits.

But a passenger flying recently from Sydney into Christchurch saw a block of Whittaker’s on the shelf marked as ‘duty-free’ and ‘tax-free’ with a rather eye-watering price of $11. That’s pretty much double what it costs in regular supermarkets.

A 250g block at Pak’nSave is being advertised at $5.59 this week in some stores (as low as $4.99 in others), Countdown has a special at $5 (normally $6.50) while New World sees it at $6.29 each.

No matter where you go, $11 seems a bit steep.

Consumer NZ has looked at the disparity of prices in duty-free in the past. In 2020, a comparison between 40 items, from chocolate bars to Apple MacBook Pros, found while there were definite bargains to be had, confectionery seems to come with a heftier price tag.

STUFF

Some items aren’t as cheap as you would expect (Video first published November 2019).

It found one Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate bar cost nearly four times more than in retail shops.

At the time the report noted that “duty-free outlets were also hawking New Zealand-made chocolate, such as Whittaker’s, which isn’t subject to import duty. Whittaker’s Hawke’s Bay Black Doris Plum and Roasted Almond chocolate blocks cost $6.50 at The Loop Duty Free. You could pick up the same block from a nearby supermarket for $3.70”. Prices have certainly increased since then.

Asked about the $11 Whittaker’s now, Abby Damen, Communications & Campaigns Adviser at Consumer NZ, said the mark-up is grossly unfair.

“We think this pricing is likely to be misleading and breach the Fair Trading Act. If something is advertised as being ‘duty-free’ it’s fair to assume it’s cheaper than the regular retail price. However, this is clearly not the case here,” said Damen.

“We’ve complained about misleading duty-free prices to the Commerce Commission before and recommend others do the same.

“We also suggest consumers do their research before purchasing anything duty free.”

Asked about the disparity between retail and duty-free, a spokesperson from Whittaker’s said it was up to individual retailers how they price the chocolate at their outlets.

“From a consumer perspective, the convenience of being able to pick up a last-minute gift or souvenir to take overseas may be their key consideration. For those who plan ahead, Whittaker’s Chocolate may be available for lower prices at other retail outlets nationwide.”

It’s not just Whittaker’s as other local confectionery such as Donovans Original Dark Chocolate ($3.30 at Countdown, $6.99 at duty-free) and Ocho 70% Cacao Solomons 95g ($11 at Ocho, $16 at duty-free) are also more expensive past airport security.

When contacted, Aelia, which runs the duty-free at Christchurch Airport as well as several others around the country, said the higher prices were due to the rental costs and the general running of stores at airports, and that the market is mainly aimed at the international and not domestic markets. Fellow duty-free operator The Loop, which also advertises a 250g Whittaker’s block at $11, was also contacted for comment.

Aelia is currently offering three blocks for $25, and The Loop two for $16.

What’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought in an airport? Let us know in the comments.

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