FOUR OF BRITAIN’S largest supermarket companies have offered their support to consumer group Which?’s ‘Price it Right’ campaign for simpler, clearer and consistent pricing.
Aldi, The Co-operative, Waitrose and Morrisons have all committed to improving food labels in their stores to help shoppers compare the price of products more easily.
The ‘Price it Right’ campaign launched in September last year, as a result of research from Which? that showed that 78% of people shop around for the best price for their groceries while 43% of people now compare prices in store.
Which? is now calling on all supermarkets to back the voluntary scheme and end hard-to-read and inconsistent pricing that confuses consumers and make it hard for them to identify value for money.
Which? executive director, Richard Lloyd, said: “Hard-pressed shoppers want to know at a glance what the cheapest deal is without having to get their calculators out, so it’s a win for consumers that four major supermarkets have committed to improving their labels. The remaining supermarkets should now follow suit, and listen to the thousands of people that have backed the Which? campaign.
“In the longer term we want the Government to simplify pricing legislation so that retailers and manufacturers can make food prices even easier to compare.”
Business Secretary,Vince Cable, said: “I welcome the positive steps taken by supermarkets to help consumers get the best value and a fairer deal. Clearer prices and promotions will be a big help for consumers who want to be savvier and work out how to save more on their weekly shop. In addition, more transparency will boost competition and help support a stronger economy.
“Consumer Minister Jo Swinson has been working closely with the supermarkets and with Which? to explore what more can be done to make prices simpler. This is an encouraging first step and I look forward to other supermarkets following suit.”
