Magazine cover on why spotting the cheapest supermarket groceries is harder than you’d think. September 2022. Credit: Which?
Which?’s campaign to improve how unit pricing is displayed so it’s easier for people to compare grocery prices and make more affordable choices.
The Campaign
Which?’s campaign, part of its wider Affordable Food for All campaign, focused on improving unit pricing so consumers can easily compare products that come in different sizes by the same unit (e.g. per kilogram or per litre). A Which? investigation had found problems with consistency and legibility, plus lack of information on promotions, making comparisons difficult.
Which? focused on immediate change by pressing Tesco to provide unit pricing on its loyalty card offers, as failing to include it made it difficult to work out whether these promoted products were really the best deal or not.
The campaign pushed for more fundamental improvements by calling on the government to update the outdated Price Marking Order which specified how unit pricing should be displayed, including revising the schedule allowing too many different units to be used, stronger requirements on legibility, and addressing missing information on promotions (including loyalty prices).
Magazine cover on why spotting the cheapest supermarket groceries is harder than you’d think. September 2022. Credit: Which?
Which?
The Change
Which? used its research findings to highlight why supermarket unit pricing wasn’t working well. It applied pressure through press coverage, use of a compelling video and online quiz shared via social media, as well as supporter engagement. The Competition and Markets Authority launched a review of unit pricing. Its findings closely aligned with the issues Which? highlighted.
As a result, Which? persuaded Tesco to use unit pricing on its loyalty offers, as well as gaining a commitment from the Chancellor to reform unit pricing legislation.
The government consulted on reforming pricing legislation as part of a wider consultation on transparency and subsequently published proposals to update the Price Marking Order, which sets out how unit pricing has to be displayed. This focused on the main issues that Which? had identified and went some way to improving display where primary legislation was not needed.
Which? worked to influence draft legislation and the revised Price Marking Order passed into legislation in 2024. The government has made further revisions since then. This will make unit pricing simpler for consumers. It includes clearer requirements on legibility and addresses the inclusion of unit pricing for products on promotion, including loyalty prices.
The Future
Which? will monitor the implementation of the new provisions to make sure that the revised legislation makes a difference in practice. We will also look for further ways to increase awareness of unit pricing and how valuable it is as a tool for comparing prices and getting the best value.
