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QCA spokesperson, Ian Jarratt says manufacturers use shrinkflation to make “sneaky” price increases and improve or maintain their margins because most shoppers are more aware of, and sensitive to, higher selling prices than reductions in the amount in packages.
Read More Call for Supermarkets to Help Shoppers Spot Package “shrinkflation”
Ian Jarratt of the Queensland Consumers Association in a supermarket with unit price labels in the background
The latest edition of the Queensland Consumers Association’s (QCA) newsletter Unit Pricing Global Update (found here) contains information about unit pricing in several countries including in: QCA spokesperson, Ian Jarratt says that in Canada the Competition Bureau and the parliamentary committee’s recommendations on grocery unit pricing are important not only for consumers in Canada (where…
Read More Global Update on Unit Pricing
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The Queensland Consumers Association’s submission (#56) to a House of Representatives Inquiry says changes are needed to the grocery unit pricing (pricing per unit of measure) system to make it much easier for consumers to compare grocery prices and values.
The submission also strongly supports the Consumers Federation of Australia’s submission to the inquiry which includes support for demand-side initiatives to promote competition and recommendations on unit pricing.
Read More Submission to House of Representatives Inquiry calls for improvements to grocery unit pricing
Two price tags: on the left it says 'Jasmine Rice 5kg $12.99' with '26 cents per 100 grams' circled in red and labeled 'unit price'. On the right is a price tag reading 'Jasmine Rice 1kg $3.99' with the unit price circled and labeled as such in red ink reading '40 cents per 100 grams'.
New Zealand has passed Regulations that require many instore and online grocery retailers to provide the unit price (price per standard unit of measure) for most products sold.
However, for instore retailers the Regulations will only come fully into force in August 2024 and for online retailers in August 2025.
Read More New Zealand Starts to Implement Mandatory Grocery Unit Pricing
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“To assist consumers with the cost of living crisis and the high rate of grocery price inflation, the ACCC and the Federal Government should follow the UK’s example and take action now to substantially improved the quality of the unit pricing provided by Australian grocery retailers and to improve the Grocery Unit Pricing Code administered by the ACCC.”
Read More Regulator acts to improve grocery unit pricing in the UK
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The Queensland Consumers Association (QCA) wants action now from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Albanese government to make it much easier for consumers to manage the cost of living and grocery price inflation crises by getting better value when shopping for groceries. QCA’s spokesperson, Ian Jarratt, says the results of a…
Read More Urgent action needed to help grocery shoppers save money
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CHOICE shares tips to combat rising grocery bills with unit pricing New data from CHOICE has found 44% of Australian shoppers surveyed are using unit pricing to reduce their grocery spending amidst the rise in cost of living. “With cost of living prices continuing to rise, everyone is on the lookout for ways to save…
Read More New data reveals 44% of Australian shoppers surveyed are using unit pricing to reduce grocery spending
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The UK consumer organisation Which? has launched a campaign – Affordable Food for All – because Which? says millions of families are skipping meals to survive the cost of living crisis and with the price of essential products soaring, supermarkets have a crucial role to play to help everyone. Which? also conducted a consumer survey…
Read More UK supermarkets asked to implement a 10 point action plan to improve food affordability
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Following its decision to require grocery retailers to provide consumers with unit pricing (pricing per unit of measure), the NZ government recently released a wide ranging Discussion Paper seeking views on many aspects of unit pricing, including system design, scope and implementation, prior to releasing draft legislation. It is now considering submissions received. The system…
Read More Australians make submissions on proposed NZ grocery unit pricing system
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Recently, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) published an interview with Ian Jarratt from the Queensland Consumers Association on the relevance of retail food price transparency to the FAO’s Right to Food Program. In the interview Ian says that food price transparency is extremely relevant to consumers’ right to food because it ensures that…
Read More Price transparency and consumers’ right to food
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Ian Jarratt, CFA Executive member and Queensland Consumers Association (QCA) member, was recently interviewed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations about the importance of food transparency, unit pricing, and the role that consumer associations need to play in the transformation of agri-food systems. In this interview, he talks about his experiences from…
Read More Food and Agruculture Organization interview CFA Executive Ian Jarratt
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The Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA) has complained to the ACCC about the inadequate display of grocery unit pricing in some supermarkets operated by Woolworths and by Harris Farm Markets. CFA’s CEO Gerard Brody says “it is essential that the unit prices of grocery products are displayed so that they are easy for all consumers…
Read More Inadequate unit pricing risks higher grocery prices, says complaint to ACCC
