Justin Tomlinson MP has today backed a Bill that calls for clearer unit pricing in supermarkets.
The Private Members Bill, tabled by Jo Swinson MP, aims to simplify and improve current unit pricing legislation in supermarkets making it more helpful for consumers and easier to apply.
Unit pricing of food enables consumers to make informed decisions when they shop by, for example, displaying the cost per 100g. With 8 out of 10 people concerned about rising food prices and 57% shopping around more for their groceries, it is more important than ever that unit pricing is clear.
Consumer watchdog Which? has identified five areas that make it difficult for people to use unit pricing:
• The unit price can be very small and difficult to see.
• Retailers do not always give the unit price when they should.
• The unit price doesn’t have to be shown for promotions, such as multi-buys.
• Fruit and vegetables can display the price per item or per Kg making it impossible to compare.
• Different units are used for varieties of the same product (eg. per 100g and per Kg).
Justin Tomlinson MP said “I am delighted to sign Jo Swinson’s Bill as I am pleased that this vital consumer issue has been raised. I have been fighting in Parliament on consumer issues, most recently on ensuring the financial industry displays information about their products in cash terms so people can easily compare.
“With supermarkets engaging in price wars with one another, consumers are well placed to benefit, but only if supermarkets give them the information to do so. Often promotions can be very tempting, but without unit pricing information, you can’t tell if you are actually saving money. With clearer unit pricing, shoppers can make informed decisions about their purchases to take full advantage of supermarket competition.”