How to Tell If Your Special Offer Pricing Truly Delivers Value 🎊
A recent study shows that big supermarkets put unhealthy food on special offer pricing nearly twice as often as healthy food. This highlights how pricing promotions can shape behaviour rather than reflect real value. Critics argue that by promoting unhealthy products more often, supermarkets may be nudging customers toward choices that harm their wellbeing.
For small businesses, that’s a valuable lesson. Specials and discounts are useful tools, but they should never come at the cost of customer trust or long-term value. In a value-based pricing strategy, promotions should strengthen value across affordability, quality, and wellness. A good deal should make customers feel confident about their purchase — not regret it later.
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What Supermarkets Teach Us About Special Offer Pricing Behaviour
The research found that about 29% of unhealthy foods were discounted in a given week in Australia, compared with 15% of healthier foods. Unhealthy items not only go on special offer pricing more often but also receive deeper discounts. Critics say these special price offers are less about helping shoppers save and more about steering demand toward higher-margin, lower-nutrition products.
For small businesses, when you promote too often or too heavily, you risk sending the wrong signal. Just as supermarkets condition shoppers to chase discounts, frequent or unfocused small business offers can teach your customers to overlook your true value.
Why Small Business Offers Need Smarter, Not Cheaper, Special Price Strategies
Many small businesses rely on special offer pricing to drive sales. But when every special price offer is about cutting prices, you miss a chance to highlight what really matters — the quality, care, and value behind your offer. A smarter approach is to design small business offers that align with what your customers value most, including their wellbeing.
For example, a café could offer a “healthy breakfast bundle with a free coffee” instead of a blanket 20% discount. That not only supports customer wellness but also strengthens your brand’s image. Or a service business might provide an extra consultation or tailored add-on, rather than reducing fees. These value added promotions create perceived value — customers feel looked after, not sold to.
When promotions shift from “cheap” to “meaningful value”, you build loyalty, protect margins, and show customers you value their wellbeing as much as their wallet.
How to Create Value Added Promotions That Put Customers First
Here’s a practical four-step framework — suitable even if you don’t have a pricing team or formal special offer pricing strategy:
Step 1: Identify what your customers truly value. Is it health, convenience, quality, or expert service?
Step 2: Design your small business offers to highlight that priority. If wellness is key, focus on better-for-you bundles or value added promotions that enhance experience.
Step 3: Add perceived value instead of cutting prices. Bonuses, loyalty perks, or quality improvements send a stronger signal than markdowns.
Step 4: Track simple results. Watch repeat purchases, margin per sale, and customer feedback. The goal is to reinforce value, not dependency on discounts.
Even small business deals can follow these principles without complex data systems. It’s about observation, consistency, and understanding what customers care about most.
Special Offer Pricing Transparency for a Healthier Competitive Edge
Large chains face growing scrutiny for using promotions that prioritise profit over public health. Small businesses, on the other hand, can do special offer pricing differently.
When you’re open about your pricing, you give customers confidence. Explaining what goes into your special price offer — the quality of your materials, the care in your process, or the extra service you provide — helps them see value beyond a discount tag. It shifts the focus from “cheap” to “worth it”.
Transparent pricing also enhances the customer experience. It removes confusion, builds emotional connection, and reduces decision fatigue. Shoppers feel respected when they understand what they’re paying for and why. That understanding creates trust — and trust becomes loyalty.
Pricing clarity is a competitive advantage. In a market full of noise and constant small business offers, being upfront about your value added promotions shows integrity and earns long-term customers who buy because they believe in what you offer, not because it’s on sale.
A New Mindset for Small Business Deals and Pricing Success
Special offer pricing isn’t about being cautious — it’s about pricing with purpose. By rethinking how you design small business deals, you can align every offer with what truly matters to your customers and your business goals. Even without a pricing department, you can make pricing a daily practice of fairness, value, and trust.
Pricing is about knowing your customers and what improves their lives. Whether it’s health, quality, or convenience, shape your special price offer to highlight those benefits. That mindset turns every sale into a relationship, not just a transaction.
Regularly pause and ask, “Does this offer make life better for our customers — and stronger for our business?” When your value added promotions reflect care and clarity, pricing becomes more than a sales tool. It becomes part of how your business creates genuine, lasting impact.
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Making Every Special Offer Pricing Decision Truly Special Again
Revisit your offer calendar through a value-based pricing lens and make every special offer pricing decision count — one that builds trust, strengthens your reputation, and supports sustainable profit.
If you’re rethinking how to design your small business offers or want a pricing approach that supports both customers and profit, we can help. Our consulting team works with small businesses to create practical value added promotions that build stronger customer relationships and lasting results. Let’s chat about how your business can turn every special price offer into a real advantage — fair, sustainable, and built to last.
For a comprehensive view of ensuring the continuous growth of your business, Download a complimentary brochure on How To Drive Pricing Strategy To Accelerate Sales & EBIT Growth.
Are you a small or medium-sized business in need of help aligning your pricing strategy, people and operations to deliver an immediate impact on profit?
If so, please call (+61) 2 8607 7001.
You can also email us at team@valueculture.com if you have any further questions.
