Unit pricing - a mandatory code of conduct
Unit pricing means displaying the price of a grocery item as a standard unit of measurement alongside its selling price. It allows your consumers to quickly compare the value of products of varying size and brands.
The Unit Pricing Code is mandatory for:
- retailers—who sell a minimum range of food-based groceries in premises that are used primarily for the sale of those items and has more than 1000 square metres of floor space
- online retailers—who sell the minimum range of food-based grocery items.
Unit pricing information must be:
- prominent—it must stand out so that it is easily seen
- proximate—it must be positioned close to the selling price for the grocery item
- legible—it must not be difficult to read
- unambiguous—the information must be accurate and its meaning clear.
Some items are exempt from the Unit Pricing Code, including books, flowers, manchester, toys and some marked-down products.
The unit pricing requirements apply to advertisements in the print media but do not apply to advertisements on television, radio or other electronic media (other than a website).
Example:
Related information: Unit pricing code
Related publication: Unit pricing - a quick guide
Related publication: Unit pricing - a guide for grocery retailers
Legislation: Trade Practices (Industry Codes – Unit Pricing) Regulations 2009