The price tag of the "high-end cabbage" in the mall Takashimaya in Shanghai. Photo: Sina Weibo

A mall in Shanghai has been fined 500,000 yuan ($78,500) for packaging ordinary vegetables as high-end ones and selling them at a high price.

On Thursday, the Shanghai Market Supervision Bureau quickly stepped in to investigate after many netizens reported that a department store called Takashimaya had marked up a head of cabbage by 78 yuan. According to the statement released by the Bureau on Monday, the department store signed a sales contract with a businessman surnamed Wang for exclusive sales of high-end vegetables since September 2020.

However, the vegetables were identified as ordinary vegetables, which was inconsistent with its advertised positioning as homegrown and boutique high-end.

In addition, the original prices marked by Takashimaya for some discounted items were false.

The Bureau has imposed a fine of 100,000 yuan on Wang and a maximum level fine of 500,000 yuan on the department store.

"This is the appropriate fine. Consumers can accept price increases, but not fraud," commented a netizen on China's Twitter-like platform Sina Weibo.

Global Times