New laws affecting shoppers at major UK supermarkets including Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Asda, Aldi, Waitrose and Lidl are now being enforced this summer, experts have said. The major change, which became law in April, is only now being enforced by trading standards teams to ensure compliance.
Under the rules, prices must be displayed clearly across all products, with standardised measurements designed to eliminate confusion and enable customers to compare costs and better understand savings schemes.
Expanded requirements
The reforms have expanded unit pricing requirements to other products including cereals, pasta, dried fruits, detergents, cleaning products and cosmetics. Metric measurements need to be standardised - per kilo, litre, metre - regardless of product size.
The government has said 'public and private designated enforcers' can take action now the rules are in force. It explained: “In practice this means the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), trading standards and the sector regulators can bring a civil court case. Such an order can impose directions, require the trader to pay redress or take other steps to improve choice and compliance, and impose fines of up to £300,000 or 10% of the trader’s global turnover (whichever is higher).”
Enforcement details
TPP retail said: “Failing to comply with UK price labelling laws carries legal, financial and reputational risks. Enforcement is primarily carried out by Trading Standards at a local level and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) using a combination of routine inspections, consumer complaint investigations and test purchasing to find non-compliance.”
Retail law firm Lewis Silkin said: “Prices must be unambiguous, easily identifiable, clearly legible, and close to the product (or its description online). Both selling and unit prices must be displayed for promotional offers and loyalty discounts, unless an exemption applies. If a product is offered at more than one price (for example loyalty schemes), all applicable prices and the conditions for each must be clearly shown. Care should be given to not give one set of prices prominence over the other.”
Emma Thompson, Senior Knowledge Lawyer at Stevens and Boulton, added: “It is worth noting that the Guidance also addresses enforcement, noting that enforcement may be both criminal and civil - including by the CMA under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. Criminal enforcement of the PMO may only be undertaken by trading standards with fines of unlimited amounts, and in respect of civil enforcement; fines of up to £300,000 or 10% of the trader’s global turnover (whichever is higher) may be imposed.”
Loyalty card pricing
Where retailers offer different prices for the same product, such as loyalty card discounts, they must clearly display both the standard price and the discounted price, with conditions for obtaining the lower price shown prominently near the product. The overhaul is intended to boost pricing transparency and make comparison shopping more straightforward, requiring retailers to review their pricing systems, provide staff training, and potentially redesign both physical and digital price displays.
