In a statement, Mark Jones, renowned lawyer and partner at Gordons, expressed his views on the ongoing investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). He believes this investigation to be nothing more than a publicity stunt orchestrated to showcase the government/CMA’s efforts in tackling inflation, particularly in the food industry.
According to Jones, the CMA’s examination delved into 4,000 edge-of-shelf labels and scrutinized online unit pricing. Remarkably, they only managed to find two instances where the unit price was not displayed as required. This discovery, however, did not take center stage in the CMA’s communication. Instead, the underlying conclusion emphasizes the need for a change in legislation to address the issue of inconsistency in product descriptions.
Jones elaborated on this inconsistency, noting how some pasta products utilize kilograms as their unit description, while others rely on grams. Although both approaches are legally permissible, the CMA holds the belief that such variety might confuse consumers. Nevertheless, Jones asserts that these instances are rare and sporadic in the context of a market valued at £200 billion, with retailers generally complying with the existing laws.
Overall, Jones casts doubt on the true intentions of the CMA’s investigation, perceiving it to be merely performative to combat rising food prices. He underscores the CMA’s recommendation for legal reform to ensure product consistency, all the while emphasizing the law-abiding nature of retailers within this vast market.
