In a crackdown on bad pricing, Derby City Council’s Trading Standards team have checked the prices of 5,000 products across 47 premises in a citywide sweep, and found 218 non-compliant prices, eight misleading offers and 30 incorrect pricings.
While many of the price discrepancies were small, if a major retailer sold items in large quantities then the detriment to the consumer would add up.
A spokesperson for Derby City Council said: “Our duty to protect consumers in Derby also stretches to their wallets. At a time where prices are high, it’s important that people are getting a fair deal on essential goods and are not being overcharged for them.
“These recent inspections may have only identified a few discrepancies at some stores but these can add up for consumers, especially during a cost of living crisis. We will continue to monitor pricing practices around the city and take action where necessary.”
These Derby findings reinforced a wider regional operation called Operation Londonite, which is being led by the Competition and Markets Authority, which conducted on-site inspections and looked at a sample of products – such as fresh fruit and vegetables and products on promotion. During inspections at some stores, the CMA found examples where the retailer was displaying inaccurate prices or failed to display prices at all for certain products. Failing to provide clear and accurate pricing information for products on sale is a breach of consumer law.
George Lusty, Interim Executive Director for Consumer Protection and Markets at the CMA, said: “We know how frustrating it can be when you get to the till only to find the price doesn’t match what was advertised. While lots of grocery retailers – particularly supermarkets – are complying with pricing rules, this needs to consistently be the case across all types of stores.
“It’s important that shoppers can make well-informed choices based on accurate information, especially at a time when lots of people are looking to save money. That’s why we are reminding businesses of the importance of complying with consumer law.”
