Investigation
SHOP TO IT
How online retailers are charging shoppers up to THREE TIMES more than other stores for the exact same item
Plus we explain why prices vary on different websites
SHOPPERS are paying up to three times more to buy the exact same items from certain online vendors compared to others, an investigation by The Sun has found.
Thanks to the rise in internet algorithms, you can now type an item into Google and be served a number of retailers offering similar pieces.
5
But many shoppers may not realise that many of these shops are actually selling the exact same item for a huge range of different prices.
As a result, some shoppers are paying way over the odds for an item they could bag cheaper elsewhere.
For example, the below denim co-ord set, which has been modelled all across TikTok, is one of the first products to show up when you search this design online.
5
One online fashion website, Kafiloe, is selling the trendy two-piece for £52.
READ MORE ON MONEY
But you will find the exact same product, with the same thumbnail, on Amazon for £29.67.
But the disparity doesn't end there. If you keep scrolling, you'll find another vendor on Amazon is selling it for as little as £13.99.
5
And Chinese-owned AliExpress has sellers flogging the exact same matching outfit at four different prices, with the cheapest being £10.99.
Many entrepreneurs use AliExpress as a source for products resold at higher prices on Amazon or other platforms
Andrew Priobrazhenskiy
The Sun spotted the below knitted jumper with a colourful smiley face, retailing for £45.00 on clothing site called Belezza.uk.
Most read in Money
But you can pay over £20 less for the exact same jumper on Amazon.
5
Meanwhile, AliExpress is charging just £18 for the knitted item.
5
Why is there such disparity in price for the same items?
Huge disparities in prices on marketplaces like Amazon is not unusual, as independent sellers usually buy their stock from the same manufacturer and then raise the price.
Andrew Priobrazhenskiy, shopping and savings expert at DiscountReactor, said it is not uncommon for businesses to buy products from places like AliExpress and then mark up the price.
"Many entrepreneurs use AliExpress as a source for products resold at higher prices on Amazon or other platforms," he told The Sun.
"They utilise the low prices on AliExpress, which they then resell with a markup after further re-branding or re-purposing.
"This is a subset of a greater business model of dropshipping, where the vendor never handles the product physically but has it shipped directly from the supplier to the customer," he added.
There is nothing wrong with this practice and it is not uncommon.
However, many shoppers may not realise all these sellers all selling the exact same item.
AliExpress is available for anyone to shop on, so shoppers should be aware that when you buy something you could be getting it for a much cheaper price from the original source.
What should I be aware of when shopping online?
However, Andew said shopping through websites such as AliExpress requires "a more careful eye when purchasing clothing".
"There are a lot of sellers on these sites who sell products at very low prices, sometimes creating a red flag that it could either be counterfeit or poor quality," he explained.
"While there are those who sell real and high-quality items, one is very likely to come across a knock-off or something that never resembles the image and description shown."
He added: "I always tell them to check the seller rating and reviews from other customers for whatever product they're looking to buy."
"Plus, I would love to say that with a lot of really good deals comes a lot of caution—two things are real. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is."
But, in a cash crunch, we have seen more households seek out affordable avenues to buy clothes.
Dig a bit deeper: why prices for the same item differ so vastly online
Alison Lowe MBE, fashion consultant and Course Leader, MBA Fashion Entrepreneurship, explained why prices can vary so much.
There are many reasons why retail websites sell the same products but at different prices.
It can be due to purely geographical differences, that the price can be based on the country the website operates in and then duties, taxes and shipping costs lead to price variations.
Varying prices are also more common with marketplace websites, which allow multiple sellers to list the same products, but each seller can set their own price, and this can also be affected by certain sellers offering promotions or discounts for multiple purchases.
If the marketplace or seller is using dynamic pricing algorithms, they will adjust prices to respond to demand and competition.
Finally, in fashion, there is always the chance that the cheaper products are dupes of an original design, produced more cheaply by manufacturers which can then be sold at a lower price due to the scale of production.
How to shop for the best deal online
Just because something is very cheap it does not mean it is worth buying or of good quality.
This is especially true when shopping on obscure websites that you may have never head of before.
If you are keen to buy from a website that you do not use, it may be worth reading reviews from consumer websites such as Trust Pilot.
To find the best price, there are plenty of comparison websites out there that'll check prices for you - so don't be left paying more than you have to.
Most of them work by comparing the prices across hundreds of retailers.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
I spent over $10k on a custom see-through wedding dress - now AliExpress is selling a dupe with fake boobies
Here are some that we recommend:
- Google Shopping is a tool that lets users search for and compare prices for products across the web. Simply type in keywords, or a product number, to bring up search results.
- Price Spy logs the history of how much something costs from over 3,000 different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and the supermarkets. Once you select an individual product you can quickly compare which stores have the best price and which have it in stock.
- is another website that lets you compare prices between retailers. All shoppers need to do is search for the item they need and the website will rank them from the cheapest to the most expensive one.
- only works on goods being sold on Amazon. To use it, type in the URL of the product you want to check the price of.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Plus, you can join our Facebook group to share your tips and stories
Topics