In brief
- The UK Government has postponed reforms to the Price Marking Order 2004 (PMO) from 1 October 2025 to 6 April 2026, giving retailers additional time to prepare for compliance.
- The reforms will expand unit pricing requirements to other products including cereals, pasta, dried fruits, detergents, cleaning products and cosmetics, and metric measurements need to be standardised (per kilo, litre, metre, etc.) regardless of product size.
- Practical exemptions apply to mixed product packages (like gift hampers containing items normally sold by different measures), and deposit amounts must be excluded from displayed selling prices.
- Where retailers offer different prices for the same product (such as loyalty card discounts), they must clearly display both the standard price and the discounted price, with conditions for obtaining the lower price shown prominently near the product.
- The changes aim to enhance price transparency and comparison shopping, requiring retailers to review pricing systems, train staff, and potentially redesign physical and digital price displays.
Background
The UK Government has postponed significant reforms to retail pricing regulations, delaying implementation from 1 October 2025 to 6 April 2026. These changes will update the Price Marking Order 2004 (PMO), which sets out the legal requirements for how retailers must display prices to consumers in the UK.
The reforms are designed to enhance transparency and make it easier for shoppers to compare products across a wider range of goods. The additional preparation time will allow retailers to adapt their systems and processes to meet the new requirements when they come into effect.
Key changes coming in April 2026
Expanded unit pricing requirements
One of the most substantial changes involves expanding the range of products that must display unit pricing alongside their selling price. The new rules will require unit pricing for additional categories of packaged goods, including cereals, pasta, dried fruits, detergents and cosmetics. This expansion means consumers will have better tools to compare value across a much wider range of everyday products.
Standardised metric unit pricing
Under the new regulations, when metric unit prices are displayed, they must be shown using standard measurements: price per kilogram, litre, metre, square metre, or cubic metre, as appropriate. This requirement applies regardless of the product's actual size.
Enhanced display requirements
The reforms introduce stricter standards for how prices must be presented:
- Legibility and font requirements: Prices must be clearly legible using fonts that are clear and of reasonable size.
- Delivery charges: Any delivery charges must be unambiguous, easily identifiable, and clearly legible.
Exemptions for mixed product packages
Recognising the complexity of certain retail offerings, the new rules include practical exemptions. Retailers won't need to show a unit price for packages that contain different items sold together, where some items in the package are normally sold by weight (like cheese), some by volume (like wine), or some at different individual prices when bought separately.
For example, if you buy a gift hamper with various items that would normally be priced differently if bought on their own, the retailer does not have to work out a unit price for the whole hamper. This exemption acknowledges that calculating meaningful unit prices for such diverse product combinations would be impractical and potentially misleading for consumers.
Deposit scheme clarifications
For products subject to deposit schemes, such as glass bottles with returnable deposits, the selling price must exclude the deposit amount. This ensures that the displayed price reflects the actual cost of the product itself, separate from any refundable deposit.
Dual pricing for loyalty schemes
There are also reforms as to how retailers handle different pricing tiers, particularly loyalty card schemes. When retailers offer different prices for the same product (such as a standard price and a discounted price for loyalty card members), they must:
- Clearly display both prices
- Explain the conditions required to obtain the lower price
- Show these conditions prominently near the product
- Apply this requirement to both selling prices and unit prices where applicable
For example, if a retailer offers a product for £5 normally, but £4 with a loyalty card, both prices must be clearly shown alongside an explanation of the loyalty card requirement, positioned where customers can easily see it when considering the purchase.
Sale notices
Retailers may now only use general notices (such as "20% off everything") when it's not reasonably practical to display the reduced price on every individual product.
Business implications
These changes will require retailers to review, and potentially overhaul, their pricing display systems. Key considerations include:
- Staff training: Retail staff will need training on the new requirements, particularly around dual pricing displays and exemption criteria.
- Pricing infrastructure: Shelf labels, digital displays, and signage may require redesign to accommodate additional pricing information while maintaining legibility.
Conclusion
The postponement to April 2026 provides retailers with additional time to prepare for these comprehensive changes to UK pricing regulations. While the reforms represent a significant update to retail pricing requirements, they reflect the Government's commitment to modernising consumer protection.
These changes will ultimately benefit both consumers and retailers by creating a more transparent, standardised approach to pricing that builds trust and facilitates informed purchasing decisions. Retailers should use the extended preparation period to assess their current pricing systems, and develop implementation strategies that ensure full compliance when the new rules take effect, particularly in light of the CMA's enhanced enforcement capabilities under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.