If Procter & Gamble and Frito-Lay roll out their Olean products nationally, price points are certain to be higher than for the companies' regular salty snacks.
s potato chip line is anywhere from $1.20 to $1.80 more than its regular chips, depending on the market.
Retailers in test markets have heard some complaints over the price disparity. They said some consumers aren't willing to pay significantly more for salty snacks -- even if they are fat free.
"They're willing to pay maybe 20 to 30 cents more a package than the regular [product]," said Greg Gustafson, direct-store-delivery buyer at Copps Food Center, Eau Claire, Wis.
Eau Claire carried the highest test price for Frito-Lay's 13-ounce Max line, at $4.79.
Rick Walker, general manager at Pick 'n Save, Eau Claire, said the price was lowered to $3 at one point.
"As the price went down, a lot of people bought them. Before that, only the real diehards would buy them," he added.
Suggested prices in each of Frito-Lay's test markets for a 13-ounce bag of fat-free Lay's potato chips are: Eau Claire, $4.79; Cedar Rapids, $4.19, and Grand Junction, $3.59, said Lynn Markley, spokeswoman for the Plano, Texas-based company.
