Pacify Her She's Getting on My Nerves

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The Guardian published an article by Mark Sweney, "UK competition watchdog to investigate baby formula market." The article describes the impact of the economy on the prices of baby formula which has increased by 25% in two years. The Competition and Markets Authority decided to proceed with further investigation expressing concerns over the lack of cheaper brands seeing as 85% of sales exclusively came from two big brands. 

This part of the information surprised me, now that more generic options are available, parents are still consuming name brands. CMA stated that if parents were to find more options they would save more than  £500. As consumers continue to purchase from big brands they continue to able them and give them more power over prices more specifically with a tactic called "greedflation." Greedflation is when brands raise prices unnecessarily to make a profit. 

Parents are making decisions that are giving big companies more power over consumer goods. Especially with a product like baby formula, the UK has strict guidelines for the production of baby formula decreasing any kind of risk of buying generic baby formulas. 

The consumer needs to be educated and ready to make decisions that will be influential to the prices of goods. There is a notion about buying generic products usually with the presumption that they are not of quality compared to name brands, and the big brands are benefitting from it. In reality, most generics are as good as the real deal. 

The article mentions, "brands have made the cost of living crisis worse by raising prices unnecessarily to protect profit," brands are deliberately part of the movement to increase economic inequality. 

Its small things like brand name and generic products that contributes to the change in  market prices, economic inequality, and presumptions. First comes the difference in product prices, next the economic disparity between brand and generics, and then the presumption that if you can't afford a brand name product you can't afford good-quality products therefore you are poor. 

Why is that? It seems like it's a flaunt to be able to pay brand names as if there is something worth better than you. When in reality, it's being smart with your own money and not being fooled by the consumerism tactics of big corporations.