Supermarket shoppers are struggling to identify the cheapest version of products in large supermarkets. Consumer champion Which? found some versions of the same product can cost up to three and a half times more (346%) per unit at the same supermarket.
The group is now calling for supermarkets to clearly highlight unit pricing to help shoppers. It comes as soaring living costs continue to bite most families in the pocket.
In a survey, Which? found that seven in 10 people (72%) could not work out the cheapest item in a range of real-life examples from supermarkets. As part of the investigation, it tracked the prices of 10 popular groceries including Coca-Cola, own-label semi-skimmed milk, Dairy Milk chocolate, Nescafe instant coffee and Weetabix at the ‘Big Four’ supermarkets (Asda, Morrisons, Sainsburys and Tesco) for three months.
In one example, up to 17 different-sized versions of Coca-Cola were available with prices varying between 11p and 50p per 100ml at Tesco. That’s 346 per cent more for a shopper who buys four 250ml glass bottles (£5) than one who picks up a 1.5 litre bottle instead (£1.68).
Which? also found the price per 100ml of own-brand semi-skimmed milk varied between 6p and 13p at Morrisons. That’s 133 per cent more for a shopper choosing a 500ml bottle (65p) than one picking a 2.27-litre one (£1.27).
The group says it visited a number of supermarkets (Asda, Iceland, Lidl, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose) and found a number of issues with unit pricing. It found fruit and vegetables such as pears and tomatoes which, depending on the pack size or variety, were given a price each, per pack, or per 1 Kg – making it difficult to compare prices.
There was also confusing terminology, such as for peppers at Lidl, which were priced both per ‘piece’ and ‘each’. Meanwhile at M&S, ‘each’ was used to mean both a pack of four pears and also a single pear.
There were also many times when the price per unit was clearly displayed but did not apply to a special offer, promotion or other reduction on price. There were numerous examples of pricing that was hard to read or missing entirely – such as for a pack of tomatoes in Tesco, Penguin bars in Waitrose, some soft fruit in Morrisons and vine tomatoes in M&S.
Which? Also found that there are also big differences with how supermarkets present and use unit pricing online, particularly for promotions. Researches found supermarkets displayed unit pricing for standard-priced items and for discounted items. But they were unable to find unit pricing for multibuys at any of the supermarkets, although not all the discounters sell them.
When Which? looked at Tesco, the supermarket with the biggest market share, it found most Tesco discounts are now offered through Clubcard Prices, which don’t show unit pricing. That means most discounts in Tesco are difficult to compare with other similar products.
Displaying prices of goods and therefore unit prices is governed by the Price Marking Order 2004 but the legislation specifies a range of different units that can be used depending on the product type so there can be confusion for shoppers. Which? has campaigned on the issue of unclear pricing before, culminating in a super-complaint to the Competition and Markets Authority in 2015. That led to a series of recommendations to improve unit pricing in supermarkets – but the legislation itself was not changed.
Sue Davies, Which? head of food policy, said: “At a time when food prices are a huge concern, unit pricing can be a useful tool for shoppers to compare and choose the cheapest groceries but unclear supermarket pricing means the vast majority of people are left struggling to find the best deal.
“Small savings can add up and make a big difference but unless supermarkets make unit pricing much more prominent, legible and consistent – as well as displaying it on their promotional offers – people will continue to risk missing out on getting the best value.”
The consumer group's researchers say they approached a number of major supermarkets for a comment about its study. Lidl and Waitrose provided Which? with an official response.
A Lidl spokesperson said: “We always endeavour to ensure that pricing information is as clear as possible for our customers so that they can make informed purchasing decisions.”
A Waitrose spokesperson added: “We regularly review all our products to ensure our unit pricing is clear and consistent, so that customers can compare prices and save money. Our Partners are always on hand to assist customers with any pricing queries.”
