chapter 6 smart shopping

Chapter 2 Food PresentationChapter 6 Smart Shopping

AT A GLANCE

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:• Explain the different ways of obtaining

information on goods and services• Interpret the different sources of

information• Compare factors (quality, quantity, price,

packaging and features) to make the best buy

• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of shopping

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• Smart shoppers gather information about a product or service in order to decide whether to buy it

• Some sources from which we can gather information on goods and services include:– Advertisements– Salespeople– Friends and family members– Reviews– Product labels

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Being a smart shopper


Advertisements are messages used to inform, persuade and influence consumers to buy a particular product or service.

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Advertisements

Advantages

• Provides general information about the product

• Highlights the features of the product

Disadvantage

• Information may be biased as only good points are mentioned


Salespeople in the stores can offer information on the products or services that they are promoting.

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Salespeople

Advantages

• Have good technical information about the product

• Can demonstrate how to use the product

Disadvantages

• May promote the product merely to earn the sales commission

• May not mention the disadvantages of the product


Friends and family members who have used the product or tried out the service before can give us advice and recommendations.

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Friends and family members

Advantage

• Provide advice that suit our preferences better as they understand us

Disadvantage

• May have limited information about a product or service


Reviews written by others who have tried out the goods and services can help us come to a decision about our purchase.

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Reviews

Advantages

• Provide a base to compare different brands

• Highlight the features of the product

• Describe the experience of using the product

Disadvantage

• May be biased


Product labels on the packaging of products carry information such as the features or nutritional information of products.

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Product labels

Advantages

• Provide detailed information about the product such as ingredients and instructions

• Highlight the features of the product

Disadvantage

• Information may be biased as it only mentions the good points


• Product labels provide consumers with basic and useful information about the products

• Different types of product labels include:– Food labels– Clothing care labels– Electronic product labels– Award labels

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Product labels


Food labels can help us make informed food choices by providing various information.

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Food labels

Use by/ Expiry/ Best before dateDate by which the food item should be consumed

Nutritional claimsClaims made by manufacturers to influence consumers’ choices

BrandIdentifying name or mark of the manufacturer

Type of foodName and description of the food item

Award labelA label given when the food item has met certain standards set by the awarding body


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Food labels

Name and address of manufacturer and/or importerName and address of the company that produced and/or imported the food item

Net weightWeight of the food item without its packaging

Nutritional information panelList of the amount of energy and nutrients the food item contains

IngredientsList of substances used to make the food item

Country of originPlace where the food item was produced


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Interpreting nutritional claims

These are some common nutritional claims we see on food products:

Nutritional claim

What it means Examples

Free/zero Having so little that it is of no significance to the body

Fat-free salad dressing

Low Having a little Low-fat yoghurt

Reduced/lower

Having a lower percentage (25% less) of a nutrient than a comparable food

Reduced-sugar drink


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Interpreting nutritional claims

Nutritional claim

What it means Examples

Light (Lite) Having less calories Light tuna flakes

Enriched Having nutrients which are lost during production added to food

Bread enriched with Vitamin B

Fortified Having nutrients added to increase the food’s nutritional value

Milk fortified with calcium

High in /rich in

With greater percentage than in the usual version

High-calcium cheese


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Clothing care labels

Clothing care labels provide information on how to maintain your clothes so that they can last longer.

1 Brand name

2 Amount and type of material3 Size of clothing

4 Care symbols

5 Country of

manufacture


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Clothing care labels

Below are some care symbols that can be found on clothing care labels:


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Electronic product labels

Electronic product labels provide information on a product’s technical aspects. An example of a product label of a flash drive:

Package contents:8GB flash drive with metal casing

Features:• Hardware encryption• Password protection• No software

installation required• 5-year warranty

Made in Singapore

Operating system requirements:• Windows XP/Vista/7/8,

Mac OS 9 or higher, Linux 2.4 or higher

• High speed USB 2.0 or 1.1 interface

Compatibility:• USB 2.0• USB 3.0

Package contents

Features

Country of manufacture

Operating system

requirements

Compatibility

Model number


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Award labels

• Award labels are issued by relevant organisations to show that a product has met and complied with certain requirements and standards.

• Consumers can use them as a guide when choosing certain products.


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Award labels

Healthier Choice Symbol• Awarded by: Health Promotion Board (HPB)• Certifies that: food products are lower in

total fats, saturated fats, sodium or sugar, or higher in dietary fibre or calcium

• Found on: food products


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Award labels

Halal Certification Mark• Awarded by: Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura

(MUIS)• Certifies that: food is halal and can be consumed

by Muslims• Found on: food products and food outlets


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Award labels

Energy Label• Awarded by: National Environment Agency (NEA)• Indicates: energy efficiency of electronic

products. More ticks indicate higher energy efficiency

• Found on: electronic products


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Award labels

Water-efficiency Label• Awarded by: PUB, the national water agency• Indicates: water efficiency of products. More

ticks indicate higher water efficiency• Found on: products such as washing

machines, urinals, showerheads and taps


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Award labels

Green Label• Awarded by: Singapore Environment Council

(SEC)• Certifies that: products are environmentally-

preferred and meet eco standards• Found on: products such as energy-saving light

bulbs, biodegradable laundry detergents


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Award labels

SAFETY Mark• Awarded by: SPRING Singapore • Certifies that: products have met the safety

requirements set by SPRING Singapore• Found on: electrical, electronic and gas

appliances such as washing machines and 3-pin plugs


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Comparing products

PriceSimilar products may be sold at different prices. This is due to:1. Brand – some supermarkets

have their own ‘house brand’ items which cost less. Branded items cost much more.

2. Location – the prices of some products may be higher in city areas compared to neighbourhood areas


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Comparing products

Quality• A product of better quality is more reliable

and able to last longer• We can look out for award labels that

indicate that a product has met certain standards

• We can also gather information from people who have used the product before


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Comparing products

Quantity• Some products are cheaper when we

buy them in bulk, e.g. drinks, eggs, stationery

Features• There may be some specific features

that we need from a product• We can compare the features of

different products to find one most suited to our needs


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Comparing products

Packaging• Some products have more interesting

and attractive packaging compared to other products in order to attract consumers

• These specially designed products may cost more than a regular box

• Example: products that are specially designed for Christmas


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Different forms of shopping

Shopping at retail storesRetail stores are physical shops that we can walk into, browse items and try them out before purchase.

Advantages

• Can see and feel the actual products

• Can try on clothing and accessories

• Can test functionality of electronic appliances

• Can use products immediately after purchase

Disadvantages

• Need to visit the store in person to buy the products

• Can only shop when the store is open for business


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Online shoppingA form of shopping where consumers make purchases online from shopping websites.

Advantages• Can shop anywhere at

any time• Products delivered to

your home• Saves time as there’s no

need to travel to stores• Can buy products which

are not sold in local retail shops

Disadvantages• Actual product may differ• Shipping and handling fees• Personal information and

credit/debit card numbers could be stolen and misused

• Companies may be unreliable• May cost extra to return

unsatisfactory goods• Payment by credit card may

encourage overspending


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Catalogue shoppingCatalogues contain pictures, details and prices of items for sale. We can order the products listed on them which are then delivered to our homes.

Advantages• Can order by calling or

sending in mail order• Products delivered to

your home• Saves time as there’s no

need to travel to stores• Can order products hours

or days in advance

Disadvantages• Actual product may differ• Shipping and handling

fees• Companies may be

unreliable

chapter 6 smart shopping

Documents

food presentation chapter

smart shopping product

product labels advantages

product disadvantages

smart shopping food

particular product

food labels use

smart shopping smart