International Law

National unit pricing regime

The Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs, the Hon. Chris Bowen MP,has announced the details of the Government's approach to the implementation of a nationally-consistent, mandatory unit pricing regime under the Trade Practices Amendment (Clarity in Pricing) Act 2008.

The national unit pricing regime will:

• be established by regulation as a mandatory code of conduct under Part IVB of the Trade Practices Act 1974  by 1 July 2009, to apply from 1 December 2009;
• apply to all store?based retailers with floor space for the display of groceries greater than 1000m2 and that supply at least a prescribed range of food?based grocery items;
• apply to all online retailers that supply at least a prescribed range of food-based grocery items;
• apply to any other retailer that chooses to display unit prices for grocery items with a transition period of six months;
• require retailers covered to provide a unit price for all items they sell for which a selling price is displayed, unless the item is part of a prescribed category of exempt items;
• not apply to goods sold at a reduced price due to damage or their perishable nature; offered for sale as a bundle of different types of items for a single price; or that are part of a prescribed category of exempt goods for which unit prices are not practical;
• apply to all in?store representations of price unless specifically excluded;
• apply to all online store price lists unless specifically excluded;
• apply to other non?store print advertising such as catalogues, newspaper advertisements or front?page website advertisements;
• not apply to non?print advertising such as radio and television;
• require the unit price to be prominent, unambiguous, legible and in close proximity to the selling price;
• use standard units of measure being per 100ml/100g/metre/m2/1 unit (where sold by count) with other measures for prescribed categories of goods; and
• operate only to the extent that it is not inconsistent with any other Commonwealth legislation.

Full post as published by Australian Regulatory Compliance Review on January 10, 2009 (boomark / email).