Federal Member for Canberra Annette Ellis, Federal Member for Fraser Bob McMullan and ACT Labor Senator Kate Lundy welcomed news that the Rudd Government has introduced new pricing rules for supermarkets that will help families compare prices and save on their groceries.
Unit pricing displays the price of a product by a common unit of measure. For example, shoppers will be able to compare different prices of bread by checking the price per 100 grams.
“The weekly shop should be simple and as cheap as possible. Unit pricing will help families compare brands and packet sizes, and reduce confusion in the grocery aisles.”
Submissions to the ACCC Grocery Inquiry estimated that unit pricing could save households $96 a year.
The Retail Grocery Industry (Unit Pricing) Code is now law and requires large and online supermarkets to display unit prices for all items for which a selling price is displayed, unless the item is specifically exempt.
There will be a transition period and the Code will become mandatory on 1 December 2009.
Smaller supermarkets can participate voluntarily, but if they decide to so they must comply with the Code.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brenton Sloane (Ellis) 0431 252 698
Bob Harlow (McMullan) 0438 513 653
Annika Hutchins (Lundy) 0407 458 882
