Large retail outlets to have new unit pricing system
In order to protect the rights of consumers and endorse the principle of price transparency, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) has requested all major retail outlets to declare the unit price of goods on sale.
According to the new decision, retail outlets are to display unit prices on price tags, as per the nature of the product and using one of the following measurement units:
1. If the item is measured by weight: the kilogram or 100 grams is used as a unit
2. If the item is measured by volume: the liter or 100 ml is used as a unit
3. If the item is measured by length: the meter is used as a unit
4. If the item is measured by surface area: the square meter (m2) is used as a unit
The initiative comes within the framework of the ministry’s efforts to boost competition in the market and to protect the consumers’ right to compare between the prices of products sold in different weights and sizes.
A study that was carried out by the Ministry revealed that retail outlets only display the prices of goods on sale without specifying the unit price, making it difficult for consumers to compare between products, reports The Peninsula.
The new initiative will require retail outlets to review the form and content of price tags currently in place, to include unit prices in addition to the selling price, name of the product and size.
Selling price should be displayed against a yellow background while unit price should be displayed against a white background in order to enable consumers to easily distinguish between them.
All retail outlets are to adhere to this system, regardless of the methods currently adopted to display prices, either by placing price tags directly on products or visibly forward-facing on display shelves.
This procedure will apply to the majority of food and non-food commodities in addition to promotional and discount campaigns unless the overall cost of the product is the same as the unit price.
The new decision has exempted merchants and retail outlets from declaring unit prices in such cases, on the grounds that there would be no benefit in comparing between items if they are packed and offered for sale by considering the original unit of measurement as a basis for comparison.
For instance, when cooking oil is displayed and offered for sale in bottles of one-liter capacities, there would be no benefit in writing the liter price for a second time on the price tag. It is noteworthy to mention, and that as a first step in implementation, the decision would apply to major retail outlets of 400m2 or more.
The decision has taken into account that retail outlets will need some time to take the necessary steps to revise and replace currently approved price tags and have been granted six months to adjust their positions according to the new provisions.
(Cover image courtesy: Salim Matramkot)
Bravo QATAR. It would be great also if price lists of major supermarkets are available electronically so we could compare and decide and therefore save time, petrol and money.
Two thumbs up for MEC
same as everything else.. the price per kilo and per 100g before cutting
How they will do for the mutton
... And as per the example above, consumers now will be sure and confident that they are paying more for bulk purchasing instead of the opposite, without the need to drain their phone battery in the calculation ;)
@zackm - yes i understood the article, this is a good initiative and more informative on prices. we wish the government should keep an eye on the increased prices also. thanks
Why don't you make fresh juice from fresh fruit instead of drinking sugar water?
@Enamor, lets all be a smart shopper. There is always a reason for this. Check the expiry, there is a reason why they want to sell it cheap, I noticed that Carrefour usually dump the prices on their packed juice when it is about 1 to 3 months from the expiry time. Lulu must have received new stock. Hence the promo being different from old stock and new stock of the product.
Ok got it! But can somebody clarify that how come Carrefore is selling 27 pcs of Rani juices carton at 10 Qr and Lulu selling same 27 pcs Rani juice cartons for 18 Qrs? Why no check on this kind of fraud?
It is a good move..
I can now easily tell whether it is better to buy the 2.0 litre bottle of Cola at 4 riyals or the 1.5 litre one at 3 riyals .
the downside is that shopping will take much longer now :O(
@dohaplanner - I wish some day that government hand down fixed rental agreements. But we know it will never happen.
@ajith-everester - we are talking about unit pricing not having same pricing for some items across retailers. Pls Read! Because some retailers are putting 30 rials for kilo, it confused some people that it equates to 10 rials per kg. Meaning there is lot people here that can't calculate in their head for 1 kg unit pricing or even 100 gm unit pricing.
They should implement the same in the Real Estate.
if the government is taking some action to keep the prices of all commodities same with all the retailers, then it would be most appreciated. else atleast they can mark an maximum limit for the prices of all commodities.
OMG...aghhhhhhh
Is there any way of converting into pounds and inches also for us old folk :O(
An improvement is always welcome. Nice.
Simply excellent .................... Welcome it ...............
We are happy .. Thanks to all
The kilogram is NOT the unit for weight, it is the unit for mass. A kilogram is a scalar and has no direction. The Newton, which is the unit for weight, is a vector, because it has a direction towards the center of gravity. I don't understand why governments force people to use the wrong units! Maybe they don't know better. Anyways, joys to all.