{"id":69970,"date":"2016-04-27T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-04-27T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=afe0a8083dc0d8c520ab83f6e2d23073"},"modified":"2016-04-27T06:00:00","modified_gmt":"2016-04-27T06:00:00","slug":"press-release-groceries-promotions-to-be-clearer-for-shoppers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=69970","title":{"rendered":"Press release: Groceries promotions to be clearer for shoppers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"govspeak\">\n<p>The Competition and Markets Authority (<abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr>) has worked with supermarkets and Trading Standards Services to ensure that shoppers can have more confidence they are getting a good deal.<\/p>\n<p>Which? raised concerns about supermarket pricing and promotional practices in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/cma-cases\/groceries-pricing-super-complaint\">a super-complaint in 2015<\/a>. The <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr> found that supermarkets generally have a good awareness of consumer law and take compliance seriously.  However, it committed to work with supermarkets to ensure that \u2018was\/now\u2019 offers (reference price promotions) and multi-buy deals (volume promotions) are genuine, so shoppers can see when they are getting a real discount and make informed shopping decisions. <\/p>\n<p>The <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr> has met with a number of supermarkets and asked them to work with their Trading Standards Services partners to review their pricing and promotional practices. All of these supermarkets have engaged constructively with the <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr>, which now expects them to review their practices and make any necessary changes to ensure consumers can be confident they are getting a good deal.<\/p>\n<p>The <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr> has had particular engagement with Asda in relation to specific areas of concern. While the <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr> has not made any findings against Asda, Asda has given a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/cma-cases\/groceries-pricing-super-complaint\">commitment<\/a> to the <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr> that it will change the way it operates \u2018was\/now\u2019 and multi-buy deals. The <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr> welcomes Asda\u2019s commitment to change its promotional practices and strengthen its compliance controls. The revised business rules it is implementing will ensure that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u2018now\u2019 prices will not be advertised for longer than the \u2018was\u2019 price applied, ensuring they are a meaningful comparison <\/li>\n<li>multi-buy offers will represent better value than a single product before the offer <\/li>\n<li>multi-buy offers will not be immediately followed by \u2018was\/now\u2019 promotions, so it will be easier for shoppers to tell what is a good offer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Once implemented, these changes will give shoppers increased confidence that they are getting a genuine discount and help them to compare the discounted price with the previous higher price. <\/p>\n<p>Michael Grenfell, <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr> Executive Director, Enforcement, said:  <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>The <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr>\u2019s examination of the market, following the super-complaint, found that supermarkets generally take compliance seriously, but there were some promotional practices that could mislead shoppers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"last-child\">We welcome the commitment we have received from Asda as well as the engagement from other supermarkets, and expect them all to ensure that their practices are not misleading and that shoppers are better informed and able to choose the products that most suit their needs.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Alex Chisholm, <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr> Chief Executive, added: <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"last-child\">This draws the <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr>\u2019s follow-up work to the super-complaint to an end. In addition to our work with Asda and the other retailers, we are pleased to see that our recommendations concerning the key legislation and guidance in this area are being taken forward. The Chartered Institute of Trading Standards is currently working on a revision to the Pricing Practices Guide and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (<abbr title=\"Department for Business, Innovation and Skills\">BIS<\/abbr>) has indicated that it intends to consult, following our recommendation that it review the legislation and guidance on unit pricing.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Asda has already started making changes to the operation of its \u2018was\/now\u2019 and multi-buy promotions. These will be fully implemented by August 2016 and the <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr> will check how they are working 6 months later. <\/p>\n<h4 id=\"notes-for-editors\">Notes for editors<\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li>The <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr> is the UK\u2019s primary competition and consumer authority. It is an independent non-ministerial government department with responsibility for carrying out investigations into mergers, markets and the regulated industries and enforcing competition and consumer law. For <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr> updates, follow us on Twitter <a rel=\"external\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CMAgovUK\">@CMAgovuk<\/a>, <a rel=\"external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/cma-gov-uk\/\">Flickr<\/a> and <a rel=\"external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/3352301?trk=tyah&amp;trkInfo=tas%3ACompetition%20and%20Markets%20Authority\">LinkedIn<\/a>. <\/li>\n<li>The <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr>\u2019s work with supermarkets follows <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/cma-cases\/groceries-pricing-super-complaint#response-to-super-complaint\">its response<\/a> to a <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.staticwhich.co.uk\/documents\/pdf\/misleading-pricing-practices---which-super-complaint-401125.pdf\">super-complaint<\/a> made by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/cma-receives-super-complaint-from-which?\">Which?<\/a> on 21 April 2015 regarding pricing practices in the groceries market.<\/li>\n<li>The <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr> has not made a finding on whether supermarkets\u2019 pricing and promotional practices have breached consumer law. The <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr> or other enforcers may take enforcement action if there is evidence that pricing and promotional practices breach consumer law. Only a court can conclude whether a particular practice infringes the law. <\/li>\n<li>The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (<abbr title=\"The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008\">CPRs<\/abbr>) came into force on 26 May 2008 and implemented the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 2005\/29\/EC into UK law. The <abbr title=\"The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008\">CPRs<\/abbr> contain a general prohibition against unfair commercial practices, and specific prohibitions against misleading actions, misleading omissions and aggressive commercial practices. The <abbr title=\"The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008\">CPRs<\/abbr> are enforceable through the civil and criminal courts. <\/li>\n<li>Trading Standards Services partners carry out responsibilities in relation to a particular business. Businesses can choose to form a partnership with a local Trading Standards Services (known as a primary authority). The primary authority scheme is a statutory scheme, administered by the Better Regulation Delivery Office within  <abbr title=\"Department for Business, Innovation and Skills\">BIS<\/abbr>. One forum in which primary authority officers meet is the <a rel=\"external\" href=\"https:\/\/primaryauthorityregister.info\/par\/index.php\/background\/primary-authority-supermarkets-group\">Primary Authority Supermarkets Group<\/a>. <\/li>\n<li>\n<abbr title=\"Department for Business, Innovation and Skills\">BIS<\/abbr> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/pricing-practices-in-the-groceries-market\">welcomed<\/a> the <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr>\u2019s response to the super-complaint and set out some proposals relating to improving unit pricing for groceries, in line with the <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr>\u2019s recommendations. <\/li>\n<li>The <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr> has also made a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/pricing-practices-guide-cmas-response-to-ctsis-consultation\">submission<\/a> to the Chartered Trading Standards Institute\u2019s <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.tradingstandards.uk\/policy\/ppgreview.cfm\">consultation<\/a> on the revised draft Pricing Practices Guide (<abbr title=\"Pricing Practices Guide\">PPG<\/abbr>), including to help ensure the final <abbr title=\"Pricing Practices Guide\">PPG<\/abbr> provides guidance on the issues raised in the <abbr title=\"Competition and Markets Authority\">CMA<\/abbr>\u2019s response to the super-complaint.  <\/li>\n<li>Enquiries should be directed to Simon Belgard (<a href=\"mailto:simon.belgard@cma.gsi.gov.uk\">simon.belgard@cma.gsi.gov.uk<\/a>, 020 3738 6472).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The CMA has asked a number of supermarkets to review their promotions and agreed specific changes with Asda.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69970"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=69970"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69970\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=69970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=69970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=69970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}