Nanette Milne, Scottish Conservative MSP for the North East has given her support for the Price Marking Bill, and backed by the consumer organisation Which? The ‘Consumer Information Bill’ will make supermarkets use clear and simple price labelling to help people whose budgets are being squeezed save money. Making price labels easier for consumers to understand is one way to keep more money in people’s pockets when they’re doing their weekly shop.
The unit price is the price per Kg, litre, 100g etc of a product, and is provided to help shoppers compare prices between like-for-like products of different sizes, where a direct comparison may not be straightforward. For example, is a 600g jar of mayonnaise for £3.49 better value than a 400g far for £2.50? With clear unit pricing the answer would be obvious.
The North East MSP is asking local residents to write in with examples of confusing unit pricing they’ve come across while shopping. It’s part of a move to support the Price Marking Consumer Information Bill making its way through the Westminster Parliament. The Bill has the support of the consumer organisation Which?.
The unit price is the price per Kg, litre, 100g etc of a product and is provided to help shoppers compare prices between like-for-like products of different sizes where a direct comparison may not be straightforward, e.g. a 600g jar of mayonnaise for £3.49 compared to a 400g jar for £2.50.
The aim of the Bill is to make it easier to work out which product is the cheapest. It calls for:
- The unit price to be prominent and easy to read.
- The use of consistent units across the board.
- The unit price to be shown for items when they’re bought as part of a promotion.
Nanette Milne, Scottish Conservative MSP for the North East said:
“For a long time now people across the UK have seen the cost of living go up and their budgets go down. With so many people concerned with rising food prices, more and more people are comparing supermarket prices.
“People are more likely to find the best deals when they check per unit price displays and yet half of all people don’t, saying displays are not clear enough.
“Any constituents who come across examples of this can write to me in my regional office or send me an email at [email protected]
“People have the right to know exactly what they’re paying for so they have the power to decide what is the best value for money. This is especially important at a time when household budgets are tight.
“I’m calling for clearer and simpler information to be displayed in supermarkets about how much things like fruit and veg, bread or cereal costs. This is a small change which will make a big difference, helping shoppers to compare prices and make informed decisions about where the best prices can be found.”