Tesco has been reported to Britain’s competition regulator over claims it may be “breaking the law” due to Clubcard’s “unclear pricing”.
The UK’s biggest supermarket has been accused of failing to include clear prices on the “vast majority” of deals offered under its Clubcard scheme.
Consumer Rights Group Which? said it had reported Tesco to the Competition & Markets Authority about the way it prices the products on offer.
A bottle of Heinz ketchup, for example, is priced at £3.90 or 55.7p per 100g for standard customers, but Tesco has not included the same price tags for its Clubcard deal, meaning shoppers may not be getting the best deal . Who? said a larger 910g bottle of Heinz ketchup is actually the cheapest option for 100g.
Sue Davies, head of food policy at Which?, said: “Tesco’s Clubcard’s unclear pricing is at best confusing for shoppers struggling with rising food inflation, and at worst could be breaking the law.
“This is simply not good enough from the UK’s biggest supermarket. Tesco needs to think about its customers and act now to introduce clear unit prices for all offers, including Clubcard promotions, so shoppers can easily find the best value items.
“We expect the regulator to look at the unit pricing of the growing number of supermarket member pricing schemes as part of its review.”
Tesco responded to the criticism by saying: “Providing great value and clear pricing is really important to us. We are always keen to ensure we are compliant, which is why we have asked Trading Standards to review our approach to Clubcard pricing.
“They have officially approved our labeling, confirming that it meets current legal requirements and guidelines.
“We support calls for greater regulatory clarity in this area, in the interests of both businesses and consumers, and are actively looking at how we can make the way we display prices even clearer for our customers.”
“However, given that we comply with all current rules, we are disappointed that Which? chose to make these baseless claims against our Clubcard pricing scheme, which helps millions of households get great value week in, week out and can save shoppers up to £351 a year.”
Supermarkets have come under pressure over pricing after the Sunday Telegraph revealed last month that the government was considering introducing a cap on staple foods to try to curb inflation.
Grocery bosses slammed the plans as a “stupid idea” and claimed they were “very effective” at keeping prices low.