The consumer watchdog is demanding UK retailers and the government make “urgent” improvements to make it easier for shoppers to compare like-for-like prices in supermarkets.
This includes providing consistent food pricing where the unit price is prominent and easy-to-read, used consistently on all products and included on multi-buys and promotions.
Crucial
Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director, said: “Unit prices should be a useful tool for people to compare food prices and choose the best value product, which is crucial when we’re all looking to save money. But we’ve found unclear and inconsistent use of unit prices across all the major supermarkets.”
Retailers are currently required by law to display both a selling price and a unit price on products. The units required are set out in legislation and include per kg, 100g, 10g, litre, 100ml or individual item, on the shelf labels of food and drinks.
Two-thirds of consumers have tried to compare the costs of the same type of products using unit prices, according to the consumer group.
But only around half of people think it’s easy to work out which product is better value for money this way. This leaves many consumers confused by how unit prices are displayed, a statement from the group revealed.
Extremely difficult
In response to this, shoppers from the consumer champion visited branches of the main supermarkets around the UK in August and September to test methods of unit pricing.
Researchers found unit prices were often absent for multi-buys or promotions, and different units being used for varieties of the same product – such as per 100g and per kg – making them “extremely difficult” to compare.
Lloyd said: “We want to see retailers and the government make urgent improvements so that consumers can compare like-for-like in the supermarket. We’ll be investigating this issue further over the coming months, and we’re asking the public to help us name and shame the worst offenders.”
British Retail Consortium food director, Andrew Opie defended the current pricing structure which, he believes, already benefits shoppers’ requirements.
He said: “This week's food inflation figures show customers have no difficulty finding best value. The law gives shops the option of selling by weight or by unit for products, such as pre-packed fruit and vegetables.
"With some things - eggs, apples - how many they're getting matters more to customers than the overall weight."
Meanwhile, retail giant Morrisons has claimed it will deliver £100M of savings for customers this Christmas as Britain’s grocers turn the screw in the battle for bargain-hunting consumers.
Morrisons said it expects 1.5M UK shoppers to use its Collector Card this festive season, giving them £25 off their Christmas shop if they spend £40 or more in their previous six trips to the store.