Charging consumers extra for branded shopping bags is unfair; CCP should take immediate action: Kaukab Iqbal

Karachi: Chairman of the Consumers Association of Pakistan (CAP), Kaukab Iqbal, along with Senior Vice Chairman CAP Abdus Salam Dada Bhai, while briefing print and electronic media at the CAP Head Office, stated that charging consumers separately for shopping bags by major clothing, footwear, and other well-known brands is unfair, exploitative, and must be stopped immediately.
He said that consumers already purchase branded products at high prices, yet they are also charged for shopping bags that carry the company’s logo, name, and promotional material. This means consumers are being made to pay for items that essentially serve as advertising tools for the brands, which is unacceptable.
Kaukab Iqbal added that consumers visit stores to purchase goods, not to buy separate bags. Providing proper packaging and a bag for purchased items is the responsibility of the retailer and the brand. Charging for bags that prominently display a company’s logo amounts to taking double advantage of consumers.
He further said that this practice is against consumer rights, transparent business principles, and fair trade regulations. In the current period of rising inflation, when the public is already under severe financial pressure, such additional charges are completely unjustified.
The CAP chairman stated that a formal letter has been sent to the Chairman of the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP), requesting an investigation into the matter and directing major brands to either provide shopping bags free of cost or offer simple bags on an optional basis at their actual cost.
He emphasized that consumers cannot be forced to bear the cost of brand promotion after purchasing products. The CCP should take immediate and strict measures to end this unfair practice.
Kaukab Iqbal reaffirmed that the Consumers Association of Pakistan will continue to raise its voice at every level for the protection of consumer rights.