Scots shoppers overcharged in corner shops by £10m a year

MANY of us try to shop locally to support businesses and cut down on wasteful journeys.

But Scots are being overcharged millions of pounds for everyday items in corner shops, an investigation has found.

Hundreds of goods were found to be overpriced, while shoppers were short-changed on dozens which weighed less than they should.

Officers working for Trading Standards checked pricing on 20,000 products in 417 convenience stores across the country.

They found 22.4 per cent were not priced at all and unit price indications were incorrect in 34.1 per cent of cases.

At the till, 5,997 products were checked, with 11.6 per cent being incorrectly charged – 79 per cent of these to the detriment of the consumer.

The report estimates that shoppers are being overcharged by up to £10million a year through pricing errors.

Alexandra Connell, of the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland, said: ‘Transparency in pricing is at the heart of fair trade in goods and is a core issue for Trading Standards teams across Scotland, making sure that consumers pay the correct price for their purchases and that businesses are diligent in presenting goods for sale accurately and legally.

‘With a continuing cost of living crisis, it is important that the processes and systems that should be in place are working properly and that consumers pay the correct amount for their shopping.

‘My advice to shoppers is always check prices carefully when in store and make sure you have been properly charged at the till.’

Trading Standards officers from 18 local councils took part in a project aimed at identifying where goods were wrongly priced or not priced at all. They looked at whether items on the shelves were priced as required, that the price charged at the till was the same as the marked price and whether unit prices, which allow consumers to compare products, were marked where required.

Weight checks were carried out on packaged goods at 146 retail outlets, with short weight products identified during 47 of these visits.

Examples included a 750g steak pie with a gross weight of 578g, representing a loss to consumers of £1.97 per pack, and 7.5kg hardwood eco logs that weighed only 6.18kg.

Investigators found a multipack of Fanta with a price marking of £1.75 where the price charged at the till was £3.29.

Another retailer advertised Nescafe Gold Blend coffee at £3.50 but charged £4.50 at the point of sale. The trading standards teams have given advice and issued verbal warnings and advisory letters to shops where issues were identified.

Excuses from store managers included a lack of staff awareness around legal requirements.

John Herriman, chief executive of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said price transparency and trust in measurement were ‘crucial’.

Sam Ghibaldan, chief executive of Consumer Scotland, said it was essential shoppers had accurate information ‘particularly during a cost of living crisis when consumers are facing increased hardship’.

‘Always check prices carefully’