Al-Jazirah newspaper

Greed is the only reason why some companies lie to us. They use promotional words such as “like the old times” to attract consumers and titillate readers’ emotions, especially during the month of Ramadan when one can see signs like “old time milk,” “old time yogurt,” etc. In fact, these are in no way similar to the products of yesteryear. Businesses and shops use the phrase “old times” to exploit consumers and arouse in them feelings of nostalgia.

I suggest that the pertinent authorities should establish standards and yardsticks to double-check if products fit descriptions. Perhaps the authorities could impose additional fees on businesses and shops that use such phrases; these fees should not impact the prices that consumers are charged.

I think street vendors were the first to use this phrase, especially during the month of Ramadan. It later caught on and was widely used by supermarkets. The funny thing is that most businesses remember the taste of the old days but seem to forget the reasonable prices of those times.

I think only a few Saudi companies use the phrase “prices like the old times” in their promotional campaigns and as part of their civic responsibility to give back to people during Ramadan. The majority of companies rely on foreign marketing experts to market products because they only care about making quick profits and getting their bonuses at the end of the year.

Most consumers today are aware of the marketing tricks that businesses use.