Tesco Ireland admits incomplete Clubcard price displays breached consumer law

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission found that Tesco broke the law by failing to include unit pricing on Tesco Clubcard promotional shelf-edge labels

Tesco Ireland were ordered to pay the legal costs of CCPC and make a donation of €1,000 to the Little Flower Penny Dinners charity.

Supermarket chain Tesco Ireland has pleaded guilty to failing to comply with consumer law by failing to correctly display Clubcard prices, the competition authority has announced.

In a statement, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) said the supermarket chain pleaded guilty on Monday morning to “two sample counts of failing to comply with consumer protection law in how they displayed the price of products offered at a promotional price to Clubcard holders”.

The judge overseeing the case, Anthony Halpin, ordered Tesco to pay the legal costs of CCPC and make a donation of €1,000 to the Little Flower Penny Dinners charity.

The case follows an investigation conducted by the CCPC which found that Tesco broke the law by failing to include unit pricing on Tesco Clubcard promotional shelf-edge labels. The breaches were identified during a CCPC inspection in August 2023.

“Consumers shopping for groceries have to quickly evaluate a wide range of factors when deciding what products offer the best value for their money. Supermarkets are legally required to show unit pricing to make that process easier for consumers,” the CCPC said.

The CCPC added that supermarkets displaying the price per kilo, litre or metre allows “consumers to compare the cost of similar products sold in different sizes”.

“It also prevents consumers from being misled by packaging or discounts into paying more for less,” it said.

Under Irish law, supermarkets are required to display both the selling price and the unit price on or near to the item. In practice this would be on the same shelf-edge label, with the selling price in the larger font and the unit price underneath.

There are some exceptions, including when the selling price is not related to quantity — such as large fruit that are sold by the item — as well as prepackaged products whose volume is no greater than 50 grams or 50 millilitres, such as small packets of sweets, crisps and popcorn.

The CCPC said it is encouraging all consumers to check the unit prices of items as they shop and make a report to the CCPC where they are not provided.