Sales assistant contested the price of an item on the price tag at the point of purchase and blamed the consumer

I was ready to purchase a standing shelf at the Brooklyn branch this morning. The price tag displayed on the item indicated a price and was on special. The description on the price tag was "standing shelf" - this aligned perfectly to the item. At the point of purchase, the sales assistant, who had been incredibly helpful told us that the item was wrongly marked. The incorrect price tag had been placed on the item - he suggested that we would be charged for the item as per the price tag. However, in checking with on his colleagues, a lady assistant (who didn't introduce herself) told us that the item could not be sold to us as per price tag on the item. She went on to explain that the floor had been reagreed and that we, the customer must understand that, and that we the customer should have known that the range on the price tag was not correct for the item. Further, she went on to quote that we never go into a grocery store and buy salt and ask to pay for sugar - rather insulting analogy. I have never been so appalled at the lack of respect shown to us as we were getting ready to pay. As far as aware, the consumer act states that I should have been charged the price displayed on the price tag. Either way, what is more upsetting was the terrible treatment and placing blame on us that we should have known that it was a pricing error. No effort was made to apologise for the pricing or even contact the manager. It was incredibly disappointing to walk away empty handed especially since the original sales assistant was nothing short of helpful