Emma Gill says the Kingdom of Sweets stall at Manchester Christmas Markets is always popular but was taken aback by the price of the pick and mix her daughter selected
A mum has slammed the price of sweets at a popular Christmas market after she was charged a whopping £14 for just a small bag of treats.
Emma Gill visited Manchester Christmas Markets with her daughter on the weekend and stopped off at the Kingdom of Sweets stall. Despite suspecting they could be a bit costly, she was left stunned after realising just how much the company were charging for a tiny amount of goodies. The shocked parent only spotted the advertisement after her daughter had picked up the sweets.
According to the mum, the treats were listed as £3.29 per 100g. She said they visited the stall at the top end of the market. Emma has now issued a warning to shoppers in case anyone else makes the same mistake. She said: “I kept a close eye on what she was putting inside the bag, as I’m all too aware of how the price can quickly mount up. But I was staggered to discover that what she got cost a whopping £14.34.
“I didn’t want to ask to return some once she’d put them in the bag and I should have realised that the sign, advertising that it Is £3.29 per 100g, is a damn sight more than you’ll typically pay for sweets. A 175g bag of Haribo for example, costs £1.25 at Aldi or Tesco, which works out at 71p per 100g, around four times cheaper.”
However, that wasn’t the only suprise the mum had in store, reports Manchester Evening News. Speaking about the other prices at the market, she added: “Visitors are now looking at paying £9.50 for the most expensive meat sausages across the market. The Berlin currywurst at the popular Witch House stall on New Cathedral Street has had an increase of £1.50 up from £8 last year, while you will also pay £9.50 for a jumbo piggy wrap at Porky Pig on Exchange Square, up by £1 on last year.
“We sampled roast pork barms with stuffing, costing £9 each at Porkys Bar & Grill. They were delicious and they weren’t shy with the filling, but £18 still felt a bit much for two barms. You could probably just about justify it, given how tasty and filling they were. I’m not sure I can say the same about the sweets.”
Manchester City Council confirmed that the authority has nothing to do with setting the prices at the stalls. Cllr Pat Karney, the council’s Christmas spokesperson, said: “We’re always happy to check out any complaints brought to us however we don’t set the prices on our market stalls. Prices are set by stallholders themselves who at the end of the day are subject to the same market forces as any other retailer – if what they’re selling is too expensive, people won’t buy their products.”
When prices at Kingdom of Sweets have been highlighted previously, a spokesperson said: “Our prices are clearly displayed per 100g and are comparable with other premium location retailers. Staff are trained to allow customers to leave the purchase if their selection is too heavy or take some out to bring the price down.”
The Mirror contacted the Kingdom of Sweets for comment.
