They’re all at it now. First it was Tesco, now O’Briens have jumped on the Taittinger “half price” bandwagon, offering the champagne at €29.99, down from a notional €59.99. Let’s get one thing straight: nobody has EVER paid €59.99 for a bottle of Taittinger Brut Réserve champagne in an Irish off licence. It was Tesco who first started telling porky pies about the full price and, while I find it perfectly understandable that O’Briens would want to match them on price in the lead-in to Christmas, I don’t understand why they feel it necessary to try and fool their customers into believing that Taittinger once cost €59.99. Just sell it for €29.99 and leave it at that.

A little over two months ago Tesco hosted a tasting at which the RRP of Taittinger was given in the printed tasting booklet as €47 (See: here) They then put it on offer at a “half price” €30. Whatever about scientists discovering particles that travel faster than the speed of light this new maths needs investigating, a Nobel prize might beckon!

Am I being naïve? Yes, and purposely so. I realise that competition is tougher than ever and that every advantage must be sought out but this is simply dishonest and certainly does not enhance anybody’s reputation, least of all the family-owned O’Briens chain. And Taittinger’s reputation? Tatters.

Tags: Taittinger, Tesco, O'Briens, "Half Price"