The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued guidance for grocery retailers about their obligations under the new unit pricing code.
Unit pricing is the cost of an item in a standard unit of measurement alongside its selling price. Different types of grocery items use different measurements, for example the shelf label for milk would show the price per litre alongside the selling price, but shampoo would be priced per 100ml.
The code came into effect yesterday on 1 July and requires larger supermarkets and online retailers to comply by 1 December 2009.
"Unit pricing offers a number of benefits, including allowing shoppers to more easily compare the price of products in different sizes and between different brands products," said ACCC chairman, Graeme Samuel.
The code has been prescribed by the Australian Government as a mandatory code of conduct under the Trade Practices Act 1974.
To help grocery retailers understand their obligations under the code, the ACCC has developed a number of education tools which are now available on its website and will be available in hard copy from mid-July.
Consumer information is also available on the ACCC’s website, explaining the changes and what consumers can expect with the introduction of unit pricing in some supermarkets.