Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s aisle law ‘now in force’ as crackdown starts | Personal Finance | Finance

New laws which affecting shoppers at the UK’s major supermarkets, including Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi, Waitrose and Lidl are now being ‘enforced’ this summer, experts have said. The major change which impacts supermarket aisles around the UK became law in April – and only now are trading standards teams enforcing it this summer to ensure compliance.

Under the rules, prices must be displayed clearly across all products, with standardised measurements designed to eliminate confusion and enable customers to compare costs and better understand savings schemes.

The reforms have expanded unit pricing requirements to other products including cereals, pasta, dried fruits, detergents, cleaning products and cosmetics, and metric measurements need to be standardised – per kilo, litre, metre – regardless of product size.

The government has said ‘public and private designated enforcers’ can take action now the rules are in force. It explained: “In practice this means the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), trading standards and the sector regulators can bring a civil court case. Such an order can impose directions, require the trader to pay redress or take other steps to improve choice and compliance, and impose fines of up to £300,000 or 10% of the trader’s global turnover (whichever is higher).

“In addition, Which? (the only private enforcer designated at the time of this guidance) can bring a civil action under Part 3 DMCCA, but can only obtain an order which imposes directions.”

TPP retail said : “Failing to comply with UK price labelling laws carries legal, financial and reputational risks. Enforcement is primarily carried out by Trading Standards at a local level and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) using a combination of routine inspections, consumer complaint investigations and test purchasing to find non-compliance.

“Trading Standards officers regularly visit physical stores and review online businesses to ensure prices are clear, accurate and not misleading; this includes checking shelf-edge prices match those charged at the till. Consumer complaints submitted through the Citizens Advice “Consumer Service often bring investigations, while test purchases are commonly used to confirm that displayed prices, promotions and sale claims are genuine. They also actively track websites, online marketplaces and social media advertising for hidden charges or fake discount comparisons.” the purchase

Retail law firm Lewis Silkin said: “Prices must be unambiguous, easily identifiable, clearly legible, and close to the product (or its description online). Both selling and unit prices must be displayed for promotional offers and loyalty discounts, unless an exemption applies. If a product is offered at more than one price (for example loyalty schemes), all applicable prices and the conditions for each must be clearly shown. Care should be given to not give one set of prices prominence over the other.”

Emma Thompson Senior Knowledge Lawyer Stevens and Boulton added: “It is worth noting that the Guidance also addresses enforcement, noting that enforcement may be both criminal and civil – including by the CMA under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. Criminal enforcement of the PMO may only be undertaken by trading standards with fines of unlimited amounts, and in respect of civil enforcement; fines of up to £300,000 or 10% of the trader’s global turnover (whichever is higher) may be imposed.”

Where retailers offer different prices for the same product, such as loyalty card discounts, they must clearly display both the standard price and the discounted price, with conditions for obtaining the lower price shown prominently near the product.

The overhaul is intended to boost pricing transparency and make comparison shopping more straightforward, requiring retailers to review their pricing systems, provide staff training, and potentially redesign both physical and digital price displays.

When retailers offer different prices for the same product – such as a standard price and a discounted price for loyalty card members- they must:

• Clearly display both prices
• Explain the conditions required to obtain the lower price
• Show these conditions prominently near the product
• Apply this requirement to both selling prices and unit prices where applicable

For example, if a retailer offers a product for £5 normally, but £4 with a loyalty card, both prices must be clearly shown alongside an explanation of the loyalty card requirement, positioned where customers can easily see it when considering