The original price of a product shown during a promotion must be the lowest price offered within a seven day grace period before the promotion begins, a Guangzhou newspaper reported, citing a new national regulation it obtained from the local pricing authority.

The regulation was released by the National Development and Reform Commission on the Information Times, via the Guangzhou Pricing Bureau.

The regulation aims to further protect customers from retailers who intend to lure or mislead them. Some retailers jack up the original price during a promotion so that customers believe the sale price is a real bargain. Therefore, the discount may not be as real as the shops are claiming.

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