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CONSUMERS "PAYING THE PRICE"

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Full Report Online

Executive Summary | Part II  | Part III

Item Pricing Media Reports

as of 10-04-12

The Craig Fahle Show, WDET 101.9 FM          
http://wdet.org/shows/craig-fahle-show/episode/podcast-wednesday-october-3-2012/

Sticky Data in Item Pricing ‘Study’
Mackinac Center for Public Policy
http://www.mackinac.org/17616

Michigan Retailers Association Reports Item Pricing Reforms Keeping Grocery Prices Down
MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/michigan-retailers-association-reports-item-pricing-reforms-keeping-grocery-prices-down-2012-10-02

Study Says Price Tag Law Hurts Consumers
Fox 47 News
http://www.fox47news.com/news/topstories/172461421.html

Study: Prices rose after law's repeal
The Detroit News
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121002/METRO/210020344/Study-Prices-rose-after-law-s-repeal?odyssey=mod|newswell|img|FRONTPAGE|p

Study Says Price Tag Law Hurts Consumers
WILX Channel 10
http://www.wilx.com/home/headlines/Study-Says-Price-Tag-Law-Hurts-Consumers-172374671.html

Group: Repeal of Michigan item pricing hurts consumer
Ruth to the Rescue - Local 4 TV
http://www.clickondetroit.com/money/consumer/Group-Repeal-of-Michigan-item-pricing-hurts-consumer/-/1719076/16831740/-/9yafcoz/-/index.html

Jobs lost, retail costs rise after item-pricing law repeal, study says ...
Lansing State Journal
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20121003/NEWS04/310030031/Jobs-lost-retail-costs-rise-after-item-pricing-law-repeal-study-says?gcheck=1&nclick_check=1

Detroit News: Study finds repealing item pricing law did not ...
WMUK Radio
http://wmuk.org/news/select/316172/

Report: Consumers pay price for item pricing law
WZZM Channel 13
http://www.wzzm13.com/news/article/227483/14/Report-Consumers-pay-price-for-item-pricing-law

Michigan's Item Pricing Changes Under Attack  
WTVB AM 1590 FM 95.5
http://wtvbam.com/news/articles/2012/oct/03/michigans-item-pricing-changes-under-attack/

Michigan Daybook
Cadillac News
http://www.cadillacnews.com/ap_story/?story_id=39711&issue=20121002&ap_cat=2

Several radio websites ran same article:
Michigan Citizen Action: Item pricing repeal a failure

WKZO AM 590, FM 96.5
http://wkzo.com/news/articles/2012/oct/03/michigan-citizen-action-item-pricing-repeal-a-failure/

WHTC‎ 1450 AM
http://whtc.com/news/articles/2012/oct/03/michigan-citizen-action-item-pricing-repeal-a-failure/

94.1 FM
http://941theedge.com/news/articles/2012/oct/03/michigan-citizen-action-item-pricing-repeal-a-failure/

MIRS ARTICLE:
Group Puts A Price Tag On Item Pricing

When the Legislature took aim at the item pricing law last year, advocates claimed the cost savings of repealing the law would be passed to consumers. A year after its implementation, at least one group is saying that hasn't happened. 

Michigan Citizen Action (MCA) organized secret shoppers to go into nine retailers every month with a typical household's shopping list. The shoppers went back every month beginning in June 2011, and found pricing discrepancies and confusion. 

Linda TEETER, executive director of MCA, described one store where she found $7.99 toilet paper marked with a sign for 88 cents. She brought it to the attention of clerks, but any remedy was slow. 

"It took five months before they finally took the 88 cent price tag down, and then there was nothing," said Teeter. 

According to the MCA report, the real effects of the item pricing law's repeal have been higher prices and lower wages for grocery store workers. The report shows that wages dropped 3.5 percent, while prices remained consistently higher than the national consumer price index. 

The Michigan Retailers Association (MRA) in a press release said that the repeal of the item pricing law is keeping prices down. They pointed to grocery store prices from the first half of 2011 to the first half of 2012 increasing far less in Michigan than at the national level. 

At their press conference today, MCA pointed to the Attorney General for not overseeing this. The group claimed that of the $100,000 appropriated to the AG for consumer education and oversight, only $6,236.77 had been used. 

However, AG spokesperson Joy YEAROUT said that figure wasn't correct. 

"The alleged scanner law consumer education spending figure cited in the Michigan Citizen Action report released today is off by a mile. To date, the Attorney General's Office has spent nearly half - $46,902.14 - of the $100,000 appropriation for consumer education on the scanner law update," said Yearout. 

She said that the department had practiced some frugality by incorporating their education efforts into existing programs. 

Such programs as the Senior Brigade presentations now include information on the item pricing repeal, a website has been established and an informational packet has been printed. 

Still, advocates are seeking a better fix. They called for Attorney General Bill SCHUETTE to launch an investigation into the matter. 

Teeter said that the law hadn't been a winner for consumers. 

"The winners are the corporations. They've wanted this repeal for a very long time," said Teeter.

Press Conferences

Picture
Lansing Press Conference
with Michael Shpunt, Linda Teeter
and others from the MCA team
Picture
Grand Rapids Press Conference
with Michael Shpunt
Picture
Detroit Press Conference
Making a visual statement
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