Doreen Nankya, a frequent customer at a local supermarket, shares her bad experience suffered at a local supermarket.
According to Nankya, on Friday, June 30, 2023, she went to Fraine supermarket and selected products based on the price tags. The total worth of the merchandise was Shs150,000. To her dismay, she was handed a separate bill of Shs170,000 at the point of sale.
“Basing on their price tags, I picked what I could pay for. At the till, I was surprised when I was told my bill was more than what I had anticipated to pay. Do you know how embarrassed I felt having to return some things to the shelves? I could have been saved from the embarrassment if the right price tags were marked,” an angry Nankya narrated.
What was supposed to be a straightforward transaction took an unexpected twist as she found herself faced with a different bill. This unexpected turn of events has raised questions about the accuracy and transparency of the billing process, leaving the customers feeling frustrated and dissatisfied with the supermarket.
According to Nankya, as she expressed her disappointment, it didn’t take long for other clients to join in and share their own tales of embarrassment.
Claire, another one of Fraine’s customers, related an embarrassing incident that occurred when the alarm at the supermarket’s exit went off. She initially dismissed the sound as a false alarm, but it continued to sound.
“One of the workers came and took away whatever I had in my hands. He searched my bag, but there was nothing unpaid for that was found in my possession,” she narrated.
What initially seemed like a false alarm soon proved to be anything but, and she was embarrassed in front of colleagues and strangers.
Nankya and Claire’s stories are not unique to them or Fraine; they are shared by many. Many customers have come out to protest the unjust and humiliating systems that supermarkets in Uganda have imposed on them. They have requested government assistance in the matter.