More shoppers are trying to use unit pricing at supermarkets, but are increasingly being frustrated by the way it is rolled out in stores.
New CHOICE research found “a significant decrease” in the percentage of people who were finding unit pricing useful when browsing supermarkets.
CHOICE Deputy Director of Campaigns and Communications Andy Kelly said unit pricing, which displays a product’s cost based on a standard unit of measurement, was designed to help shoppers.
“While almost half of shoppers are now comparing unit prices to help save money at the supermarket, an increase from 2022, we’ve seen a significant decline in people finding it useful,” Mr Kelly said.
He said that number had dropped to 61 percent, down from 71 percent in 2022.
“At the same time, we’ve seen an increase in people reporting labelling issues at the supermarket.”
Mr Kelly said inconsistent units of measurement, such as kilograms compared to grams, obscured signage, illegibility, incorrect information, or no unit pricing information at all were commonly reported issues.
He said while they survey found using unit pricing was a common way for people to save money on their groceries, buying on sale was the most frequently mentioned method.
“Unfortunately, not all ‘specials’ will actually help you save. Especially if you don’t check the unit pricing to make sure you’re actually getting a good deal.
“Supermarkets have conditioned consumers to search for colourful tags as indicators of value, but even with any discounts applied, those products may not be the best value for money.
“When so many of us are concerned about the cost of living, comparing the unit price is the best way to ensure you’re getting the best bang for your buck.”
Mr Kelly said the Federal Government had announced it would be releasing a consultation paper outlining options to help shoppers make more informed choices and making unit pricing work better.
“CHOICE strongly recommends expanding the scope of the Unit Pricing Code so that more consumers can benefit from it, alongside strengthening the rules around when and how unit prices need to be displayed,” he said.
“This will help remove common issues that undermine its usefulness, such as inconsistent units of measurement and unit prices that are too small to read, or are incorrect.
“Further, introducing shrinkflation notices will help alert consumers to when a product has reduced in size and the unit price has increased, to stop consumers being tricked into paying more than they intended.”
