Sainsburys confusing information re unit cost.

lro_swb

Why is it that Sainsburys (other supermarkets may do the same) display information stating the unit cost which appears to deliberately confuse the customer.

For example the same brand of lager may be sold in packs of six bottles or four cans, one is described as cost per pint and the other cost per litre. Likewise, some veg is shown with cost per kg and the same veg sold pre packed is shown with the cost per lb.

Why don't they standardise this information so that you know exactly how much you are paying. I can't see any useful reason for this other than to make it harder for the customer to work out which is the best value.

BitterAndTwisted

It's done precisely to confuse the customer. All of them try to encourage the idea that they trade fair but you really need a doctorate in sharp practice just to keep up with them. I'm not innumerate but I get pretty fed up with them displaying some prices as per kilo and others on the same shelf per 100 grammes. It's insulting to be treated as if we are all that easy to fool or hoodwink

MrsBartolozzi

Another thing to look out for is: when a packet/tin has extra free in it the shelf label will probably still have the price per 100g /kg etc for the standard pack, not including the extra. So you still have to do the sums to work out if the extra free is worth it.

DCFC79

lro_swb wrote: »

Why is it that Sainsburys (other supermarkets may do the same) display information stating the unit cost which appears to deliberately confuse the customer.

For example the same brand of lager may be sold in packs of six bottles or four cans, one is described as cost per pint and the other cost per litre. Likewise, some veg is shown with cost per kg and the same veg sold pre packed is shown with the cost per lb.

Why don't they standardise this information so that you know exactly how much you are paying. I can't see any useful reason for this other than to make it harder for the customer to work out which is the best value.

why dont you contact sainsburys then ask them that very same question

Clowance

If you take a calculator with you: multiply the price by

pints into litres : 1.7598
litres into pints: 0.56826

Lbs into KG: 2.2046
KG into Lbs: 0.4536 (if by 100g multiply price by 10 first)

HTH
For example I bought diesel last week at 116.9p per litre. So - to get the price per gallon for old times sake - it is
116.9x0.56826 = 0.6643 pence per pint, x 8 pints in a gallon= 5.31 per gallon!!! AARGH

taxiphil

Are you sure you've seen lager marked with a unit price per pint, and pre packed veg with a unit price per lb? Unit pricing for pre packaged goods has to be in metric under the Price Marking Order 2004 (see the last para in 1(2)):

"unit price" means the final price, including VAT and all other taxes, for one kilogram, one litre, one metre, one square metre or one cubic metre of a product

(except for the odd exception under the Weights and Measures (Miscellaneous Foods) Order 1988/2040, e.g. for Weetabix the unit price can be "per biscuit", with no reference to weight)

They can add a supplementary unit price in imperial measurements if they so wish, but the mandatory unit price in metric should predominate (see 7(4) and 7(5)).

I'd be surprised if Sainsbury's aren't complying with this, but if what you say is correct I'd let your local Trading Standards know.