Why Brands Keep Increasing MRP Every Year (Even When Nothing Changes)
Brands continue to increase MRPs for products that have not changed even a bit, let alone introducing any new feature or increasing the quantity. In this blog, we decode the reasons behind such yearly price increases and reveal the secret strategies of how companies maintain their profits and shape consumer perception.
💸 The Hidden Cost of Free Shipping — You’re Paying Without Realizing
"Free shipping" is the internet’s favorite magic trick. It looks generous, feels irresistible, and instantly kills your hesitation at checkout. But here’s the brutal truth: you almost always pay for it—just not as a separate delivery line item. The cost is cleverly buried in inflated prices, manipulative thresholds, slower timelines, and restrictive rules designed to nudge you into spending far more than you planned.
Let’s pull the curtain back and expose the hidden costs.
1. The Price-Inflation Trick
How it Works: If an item should be ₹999 with a ₹79 delivery fee, the "free shipping" version quietly becomes ₹1,079.
The Reality: You pay the same (or more), but because the fee isn't visible, the purchase feels painless.
How to Catch It: Compare the same product across at least 3–4 different sites. Focus entirely on the **landed cost**—the final amount you pay after all coupons, taxes, and fees—not just the sticker price.
2. The Minimum Cart Threshold Trap
The Setup: "Free shipping on orders above ₹999." Sounds harmless—until you add a ₹249 "filler" item you didn’t need, just to dodge a ₹79 delivery fee.
The Result: You spent ₹170 more than was necessary.
The Rule: If your filler item costs more than the fee you avoided, **you lost money**. Skip it, or only choose a genuine consumable you buy anyway (like toothpaste or detergent) to reach the threshold without waste.
3. Free, But Intentionally Slower
The Cost: Many platforms make the "free" option intentionally slow (e.g., 5–7 days) knowing your patience is limited, hoping you'll pay extra for express shipping. The slow path itself is the price—your time, missed deadlines, or lost convenience.
Your Move: If express is essential (for a birthday or trip), pay for it consciously. Otherwise, plan your purchases earlier and stick to the free timeline.
4. Memberships That Hide Shipping Costs
The Cost: Paid memberships (like annual subscription programs) advertise "unlimited free shipping." Your membership fee is literally the shipping fund, but worse, you are nudged to shop more often to "recover" that sunk membership cost.
Ask Yourself: Would you still buy this much without the membership? If the answer is no, then the extra, unnecessary shopping is the real hidden price of "free."
5. Returns: The Silent Bill
The Fees: "Free shipping" rarely means free returns. Many stores still charge:
- Return pickup fees.
- Restocking charges.
- Deduct the original logistics cost from your refund.
6. Cross-Subsidy from Sellers
The Result: Marketplaces often push small sellers to offer "free shipping" badges. The seller pads the product price to cover the cost of logistics—you still pay; it's simply built into the product's "inclusive" price.
Tip: Check the same seller's pricing on their own brand website. Sometimes they sell cheaper there with an honest delivery fee tacked on.
7. Data Is Part of the Price
The Behavior Engine: "Free shipping" increases conversion and average order value, and most importantly, it feeds platforms valuable data about your preferences.
The Invisible Cost: That data drives dynamic pricing and more targeted ads to you—an ongoing, invisible cost.
💡 How to Actually Save (and Still Get Good Delivery)
The solution is simple: stop looking at shipping in isolation and start comparing **landed cost**.
- **Calculate Landed Cost:** Add item price + taxes + handling + shipping – coupons – bank/UPI offers – wallet points. Compare this final number across all stores.
- **Use Price History Tools:** Check the 90–180 day median price. If today’s "free shipping" item is priced higher than usual, you are just subsidizing the logistics.
- **Stop Threshold Traps:** If your cart is $₹920$ and the free threshold is $₹999$ (with a $₹79$ fee), do not add a $₹249$ filler. Either pay the $₹79$ fee or add only something you genuinely need.
- **Stack Smart:** Sometimes paid shipping plus a true product discount beats the inflated price of "free shipping." Do the math.
- **Read the Return Policy Before Paying:** Factor the pickup fee and restocking fee into your decision, especially for clothes, shoes, and bulky items.
Bottom Line: "Free shipping" is rarely free. You pay via higher sticker prices, unnecessary fillers, slower timelines, membership fees, or punitive return charges. The antidote is awareness and focusing solely on the final, verified landed cost.
