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DOHA: The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has made it mandatory for all leading retail outlets to declare the unit price of goods, along with the selling price.
All retail outlets are required to display the unit price on tags so that consumers can identify and compare the prices of products in different sizes, volumes and quantities, the ministry said yesterday.
The ministry has given six months to outlets to revise the price tags and adjust their position to meet new requirements. Initially, the new rule will apply to all major outlets of 400sqm area or more.
The unit price is decided according to the nature of the product and using one of the following measurements: If the item is measured by weight, the kilogramme or 100 grammes is used as a unit. If measured by volume, the litre or 100ml is used as a unit. If measured by length, the metre is used and if measured by surface area, the square metre is used as a unit.
A study 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. “The initiative comes as part 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,” said a statement yesterday.
All retail outlets will be required 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 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, said the Ministry.
The new rule will apply to the majority of food and non-food commodities, besides the promotional and discount campaigns, unless the overall cost of the product is the same as the unit price, added the statement. It 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-litre capacities, there would be no benefit in writing the litre price for a second time on the price tag.
The Peninsula
