Consumers have raised concerns about being charged per item instead of by weight
Gina Cass-Gottlieb, chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), has commented on supermarkets’ use of pricing fresh produce by item instead of by weight, as the regulator outlined its priorites in 2026-27.
According to a report from The Guardian, Cass-Gottlieb said the practice “is of concern” in a briefing before she addressed the Committee for Economic Development Australia (CEDA). The publication highlighted discrepancies in the prices of fresh fruit and vegetables when Australian supermarkets used different pricing methods.
“The review and the strengthening of the unit pricing code is the right way to address this,” she said.
“(Supermarkets are) a big part of our economy. They’re a huge part of household budgets. It’s very important that pricing claims and product claims are clear and truthful.”
The Australian government announced plans to update the Unit Pricing Code in October 2025 to make it easier for consumers to make accurate and timely price comparisons.
“The ACCC Interim Supermarket Inquiry Report, released by the Albanese government last week, found that almost 90 per cent of consumers always or often use unit pricing when deciding what products to buy,” it said in a release at the time.
“Through the course of the Inquiry, stakeholders raised concerns about how supermarkets apply unit pricing in Australia – including the size and font of print on in-store labels and the inconsistent units of measure being used to price the same products.”
In her speech at CEDA, Cass-Gottlieb said the ACCC would continue to prioritise consumer and competition issues in the supermarket and retail sector more broadly, given the central role this sector plays in household budgets and the economy.
“Accurate pricing information is fundamental to effective competition. When discount claims mislead, consumers cannot make informed choices and businesses that follow the rules may be disadvantaged,” she said.
Cass-Gottlieb said the ACC will also continue to prioritise conduct that undermines fair dealing for small businesses, including in the agriculture sector, where power imbalances can be acute and the consequences long-lasting.
”For example, our action against Western Australian wholesaler Galati Group for alleged breaches of the Horticulture Code, including trading without compliant horticulture produce agreements. Galati was the sixth trader to pay penalties for alleged Code breaches since mid-2023,” she said.
