HEADS up grocery shoppers, the Malaysian Association of Standards Users has shed some light on how unit pricing contributes to smarter shopping.
Unit pricing refers to the display of the price of grocery for a certain unit of measurement alongside the item’s selling price.
The unit prices can appear as per litre, per kilogramme, 100 millilitres, 100 grams, and 10 grams per item, depending on the type of product’s weight, volume, length, area and number (per item).
The labelling system allows shoppers to compare prices for items that are not sold in equal quantities.
“In Asia, only Japan is currently implementing the unit pricing,” said the Malaysian Association of Standards Users chief executive officer Ratna Devi Nadarajan.
In light of the current economic situation, Blue Tangents Sdn Bhd founder C.K. Soon added that unit pricing would be able to aid consumers to shop smartly.
“If we can adopt unit pricing, we will be the first country to do so in South-East Asia, even Singapore has not done it,” Soon said.
“I hope the government will expedite the implementation process to help consumers shop smarter.”
The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) president Datuk Marimuthu Nadason said consumers have to be smart when shopping as many had been cheated in one way or another.
Marimuthu also said that meetings were also being held with the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry in an attempt to push through the unit pricing.
At the event, Blue Tangents Sdn Bhd director Leonard Choong showcased the merits of unit pricing via their company’s SmartShopper app.
Chong highlighted the app’s usefulness in comparing grocery prices among local retailers.
Despite “value products” providing great savings, consumers should only purchase what is necessary to avoid wastage.
The app is downloadable on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Source : The Star - Metro - Community - 16 February 2016 (Tuesday), http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2016/02/16/shop-smart-with-app-associations-want-unit-pricing-to-be-implemented-to-enable-consumers-to-compare/
