Some supermarket chains are failing to correctly display their prices, with inaccurate or missing prices often resulting in customers being charged more than expected at the till, according to a review conducted by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The unprecedented review of 139 grocery stores across England and Wales revealed that independent food stores were the biggest culprits for such pricing errors.
The majority of these mistakes resulted in customers being overcharged at the checkout – accounting for 60 percent of all errors found during the monitoring process.
In light of the findings, the statutory body has partnered with Trading Standards to roll out a new initiative – the introduction of a poster designed to help shopkeepers better understand their legal obligations when it comes to accurate pricing.
George Lusty, interim executive director for consumer protection and markets at the CMA, summed up public sentiment: “We know how frustrating it can be when you get to the till only to find the price doesn’t match what was advertised.”
“While lots of grocery retailers particularly supermarkets are complying with pricing rules, this needs to consistently be the case across all types of stores.”
“It’s important that shoppers can make well-informed choices based on accurate information, especially at a time when lots of people are looking to save money. That’s why we are reminding businesses of the importance of complying with consumer law.”
The view follows separate work by the CMA last year which looked at how grocery retailers are displaying unit pricing in stores and online.
The review found problems with unit pricing which could affect consumers’ ability to compare products.
