The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has been urged to introduce a supermarket law similar to those in France and Austria, which is designed to make it clearer to shoppers when they are getting less product for more money. The call comes as he promises to tackle the Cost of Living crisis.
New pack size messages urged
The Guardian newspaper has highlighted that in France and Austria, there are rules requiring retailers to alert customers when product sizes shrink but prices stay the same, a practice known as shrinkflation. The paper urges: "Demanding a simple 'new pack size' message on products would at least alert people to the change and mean they are making informed decisions about what they are buying."
This follows the Prime Minister's statement that he "is determined to use every chance he gets to restore fairness and take pressure off people." His ban on subscription fees, announced on Monday, "is the start of a series of practical, everyday fixes that will put more money in people's pockets, give them greater peace of mind, and make life a little easier," the government said.
Government's week-one actions
In his first week in office, Burnham has already taken action to cap bus fares and make energy bills more affordable for millions of households. These measures are part of a broader effort to address the rising cost of living.
A consultation will launch this autumn to assess whether tactics such as fake "was" prices, invented discounts, and misleading recommended retail prices (RRPs) should be added to the list of practices banned under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA).
Strengthening consumer protections
Under current laws, it can be difficult for enforcers to take on these cases. Adding these tactics to the banned list would mean they will automatically be considered unfair, making it easier to crack down while making rules simpler for businesses to follow.
Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: "There's nothing worse than realising you've been fleeced by a dodgy deal, or seen money leaving your account because of a subscription you didn't want to renew or couldn't easily cancel."
He added: "This Government is on the side of families working hard to make ends meet, while making sure the rules are clear for businesses and easy to follow."
