New data reveals 44% of Australian shoppers surveyed are using unit pricing to reduce  grocery spending

New data from CHOICE has found 44% of Australian shoppers surveyed are using unit pricing to reduce their grocery spending amidst the rise in cost of living. 

"With cost of living prices continuing to rise, everyone is on the lookout for ways to save money on their grocery bill. Unit pricing, that small text underneath the main price, is a great way to compare brands and sizes to make sure you’re reducing the money you spend at the supermarket,” says CHOICE Editorial Director, Marg Rafferty.

Read the full story here: choice.com.au/unitpricing

"Our recent survey found 44% of Australian shoppers surveyed used unit pricing to cut spending at the supermarket. It's no surprise that this was also one of the most preferred ways for shoppers to get the best bang for their buck," says Rafferty.

The recent CHOICE survey also put shoppers to the test by showing them images with and without unit pricing and asking which was the best value for money. 

“When we asked shoppers to pick between products without unit pricing, only 60% of shoppers picked the best value deal. When unit pricing was included, that jumped to 74%, proving just how important unit pricing is when it comes to saving money," says Rafferty.

Infogram available for embedding: https://infogram.com/1p5lwmwn9557k1cp0pjq71gqrqu3zz955q2?live

CHOICE’s research also found that 71% of shoppers surveyed had problems using unit prices in supermarkets. 

• 35% say the unit price was not always displayed 

• 34% say unit pricing text was difficult to read 

• 31% say unit pricing was obstructed or covered by another label 

CHOICE supports strengthening the Unit Pricing Code, to ensure that shoppers are able to easily read and understand unit prices. 

“Our survey results show that there’s still work to be done when it comes to making sure shoppers are getting the most out of unit pricing. Unit prices should be displayed prominently, and there needs to be greater consistency when it comes to units of measurement used,” says Rafferty.

Read the full story here: choice.com.au/unitpricing

Images and video available here: https://sites.google.com/choice.com.au/unitpricing2023

Media contact: 0430 172 669, media@choice.com.au

Editor’s notes:

Between 14 and 29 November 2022 we asked 1008 grocery shoppers to tell us about their experience. The data was not weighted to the ABS population data.The survey was designed and analysed by CHOICE. The sampling and fieldwork management was provided by Dynata, who is ISO 20252 and 26362 accredited and full AMSRO member.

Images of Marg Rafferty