Consumer group Which? has reported Tesco to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), alleging the supermarket may be breaking the law over how it displays Clubcard prices. Which? claims Tesco fails to clearly show unit prices for Clubcard deals, making it difficult for shoppers to identify the cheapest product.
The group highlighted Heinz tomato ketchup as an example. A 700g bottle showed a standard price of £3.90 (55.7p per 100g) with a Clubcard offer of £3.50, but the unit price for the offer was not displayed. Meanwhile, a 910g bottle priced at £3.99 (43.8p per 100g) for all shoppers was actually cheaper per 100g. Which? argues many customers would mistakenly assume the Clubcard option is the best deal.
Which? head of food policy Sue Davies said: 'Given the backdrop of a cost of living crisis, supermarkets should not be cutting corners. They have a duty to ensure pricing is clear so that customers can get the best value. Tesco's unclear Clubcard pricing is at best confusing for shoppers struggling with soaring food inflation and at worst, could be breaking the law.'
Tesco responded that it complies with all current rules and has sought advice from its local trading standards office. A spokesperson said: 'Providing great value and clear pricing is really important to us... we are disappointed that Which? has chosen to make these ill-founded claims against our Clubcard Prices scheme, which helps millions of households get great value week in, week out.'
The CMA is already investigating whether supermarkets are making excess profits through inflated prices. In May, Sainsbury's boss Simon Roberts told the BBC that supermarkets were not profiteering from high inflation.
