# Weird pricing on mass produced bakery goods....what’s the point? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 13, 2019, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pricing-on-mass-produced-bakery-goods-what-s-the-point/831036 "2019-03-13T00:37:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mrdeals](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Mrdeals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrdeals)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pricing-on-mass-produced-bakery-goods-what-s-the-point/831036/1 "2019-03-13T00:37:41Z")
My stores carry a whole mess of bakery goods from Little Debbie, Hostess, Entemanns, etc. On every box (with a possible exception or two) there is a price that says $6.67/lb (or equally strange number) and the MSRP right next to it; $3.99. It’s always the same MSRP per SKU, so the poundage really doesn’t matter. So what’s the point of it? ---
**Author:** ![road\_lobo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d78d45/32.png) [@road\_lobo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/road_lobo)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pricing-on-mass-produced-bakery-goods-what-s-the-point/831036/2 "2019-03-13T00:44:42Z")
The impression in the mind of potential consumers? (Many of whom will never know what MSRP or SKU mean.) ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pricing-on-mass-produced-bakery-goods-what-s-the-point/831036/3 "2019-03-13T00:55:18Z")
It may well be that in some jurisdictions a price per pound is required. So Hostess, etc. put on the MSRP then figure backwards to what the price per pound is. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pricing-on-mass-produced-bakery-goods-what-s-the-point/831036/4 "2019-03-13T01:39:26Z")
I could eat a pound of Hostess twinkies. I bet that’s alot of twinkies. Of, course I’d be in a coma afterwards. But, damn, what a way to go! ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pricing-on-mass-produced-bakery-goods-what-s-the-point/831036/5 "2019-03-13T04:07:11Z")
And the reason the suggested price is $3.99 is that apparently consumers perceive this as significantly less than $4. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pricing-on-mass-produced-bakery-goods-what-s-the-point/831036/6 "2019-03-13T04:14:49Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > It may well be that in some jurisdictions a price per pound is required. So Hostess, etc. put on the MSRP then figure backwards to what the price per pound is. I think this must be it, because I see a lot of supermarkets have price labels on the shelf that show price per pound in addition to price per unit. Not just meats and vegetables, but packaged foods as well. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pricing-on-mass-produced-bakery-goods-what-s-the-point/831036/7 "2019-03-13T04:47:27Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > And the reason the suggested price is $3.99 is that apparently consumers perceive this as significantly less than $4. I much rather shop at a 99cents store than the Dollartree. So much better savings. We’re all doing what we can. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pricing-on-mass-produced-bakery-goods-what-s-the-point/831036/8 "2019-03-13T07:00:43Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > I think this must be it, because I see a lot of supermarkets have price labels on the shelf that show price per pound in addition to price per unit. Not just meats and vegetables, but packaged foods as well. Makes it easier to comparison shop, since a “unit” can vary widely among brands, or the packaging differs, etc. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pricing-on-mass-produced-bakery-goods-what-s-the-point/831036/9 "2019-03-13T20:44:08Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Makes it easier to comparison shop, since a “unit” can vary widely among brands, or the packaging differs, etc. Sometimes. Toilet paper is a fun one. You’ll have three brands side by side, each with different sticker prices. And then each has a comparison part of the price…but one lists cost per square, one cost per square feet of paper, and one cost per roll. Good luck on figuring which is the best value, eh? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pricing-on-mass-produced-bakery-goods-what-s-the-point/831036/10 "2019-03-13T20:47:33Z")
In NY, unit pricing is required, and the unit price is always to the left of the price tag, with the retail price on the right. This sounds exactly like what you’re describing. So it makes sense for Little Debbie use one system nationally instead of using different ones for different states.