Restaurants replace part of the meat and fish with “potatoes and corn” to equalize the weight
Consumers: Reducing quantities in goods and meals is a “fraud” to raise prices
Demands to impose more control and restore meals to what they were.
Reuters
Ibrahim Al-Bahr: “Shops and restaurants are required to reduce the profit margin, and not to raise prices (deception), to gain the confidence of customers.”
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Consumers in Abu Dhabi confirmed that restaurants and sweets shops have modified their products by reducing quantities and quality, considering this a “fraud” and an actual increase in prices without explicitly announcing this.
They demanded the imposition of strict control on these restaurants and shops, and the return of the products to what they were, as well as the imposition of fines and penalties on violators.
In turn, two officials in restaurants and sweets shops told "Emirates Today" that the sector has been under severe pressure for several months, which prompted a number of them to make changes in quantities and weights, due to a significant increase in raw material prices, high shipping costs, and disruptions in supply chains. , pointing out that the continuation of the work means incurring losses, reducing the number of workers, and possibly closure.
Grills and "Doughnuts"
In detail, the consumer, Amr Gamal, said that a well-known grill restaurant in Abu Dhabi reduced the amount of meat in its meals, and replaced it with other less priced items to supplement the weight, considering this a deception and an actual increase in prices without informing consumers of that.
He explained that he used to regularly buy a grilled meal about a year ago for 150 dirhams, but he was surprised that the restaurant reduced the amount of meat in the meal, and replaced it with bread, potatoes, and chicken wings to supplement the weight.
He added that the matter was not limited to the restaurant, as it bought, last week, a box of "Donuts" sweets, usually consisting of 20 pieces for 36 dirhams, but the shop reduced the number to 16 pieces, with the price remaining unchanged, in addition to the fact that they taste different, and do not include Intensive amounts of the inner filling that he was accustomed to previously.
Jamal called on the concerned authorities to impose strict control on the market, to compel stores to return the products to what they were, and to impose fines and penalties on violators, so that they do not take advantage of the current conditions to raise prices and change the product.
Seafood
For his part, the consumer, Abdul Rahman Ibrahim, said that he is accustomed to buying a meal of fish and seafood for 220 dirhams, pointing out that the meal includes a certain number of pieces of fish and seafood, but the restaurant made an amendment by reducing the number of pieces by almost half, and added items to it for the sake of weight, Like potatoes, cut corn.
Ibrahim considered that this is a deception and an increase in the price, and a reduction in the value of the meal and in terms of quantity, calling for the protection of consumers' rights, the imposition of strict control, and penalties for violating stores, and the return of meals to what they were.
Meat and chicken As for the consumer, Samia Al-Attar, she told «Emirates Today» that she bought meat and chicken sandwiches from restaurants for 12 dirhams per sandwich, but she noticed that they are smaller, while reducing the quantities of meat and chicken in them, and adding larger quantities of vegetables.
She added that the size of the candy she bought was about 20% less than the usual size, with a lower quality taste, agreeing on the need to monitor and protect consumers' rights from fraud to raise prices that some people currently resort to.
Severe pressure To this, the managing director of a famous chain of restaurants in Abu Dhabi, Ghassan Nidal, said that the restaurant sector has been under severe pressure for several months, which prompted a number of them to make changes in quantities and weights, due to a significant rise in raw material prices, high shipping costs, and unrest. In the supply chains that have increased more than before, under the conditions of the war in Ukraine, there is a shortage of some of the raw materials used.
He added that restaurants seek to continue in the market and maintain employment in light of the current difficult conditions.
Raw materials
For her part, the manager of a sweets shop in Abu Dhabi, Maria Eron, said that many of the raw materials used have witnessed price increases during the last period, in addition to the increase in freight prices, as a result of high fuel prices and supply chain problems.
She stressed that restaurants and shops need support and assistance during the current period, warning that continuing to work in these circumstances means incurring losses and reducing the number of workers, and this may lead to closure.
Profit margin
In turn, the retail affairs expert, head of the Al-Bahar Consulting Company, Ibrahim Al-Bahr, called on restaurants to reduce the profit margin, and not to deceive to raise prices to gain the confidence of customers.
He added that competition in the long run is more important than raising prices, because the loss of consumers' confidence will cause them to stop dealing in the future.
Al-Bahar stressed that despite the increase in the prices of many raw materials and the cost of shipping, this rise was offset at the same time by a decline in the rental values of shops and restaurants, which achieves a measure of balance, noting that the project owner should study the economic feasibility before starting it. During which some changes in the cost are calculated.
At the same time, Al-Bahr advised families to economize on their spending and to buy only what they need, while reducing waste, to face the repercussions of the current circumstances that are being reflected in various countries.
«Economy»: channels for submitting requests to raise prices of goods
The Ministry of Economy called on consumers to communicate with it through any of the official channels to register any complaint, or report any improper commercial practice related to consumer protection in the country.
The ministry said that it provides channels for submitting requests for raising the prices of consumer goods, as it receives and analyzes requests, takes appropriate measures and decisions towards them, and informs companies of the final response.
She explained that the company submitting a request to raise the prices of a consumer good must submit a report on current prices, a list showing prices during the previous three years, prices of alternative products, a report showing production costs for the previous three years, and the company's budget for the last three years, and the required increase percentage should also be determined. In prices, compared to prices in the countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.
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