A Tesco shop. Picture by Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty
Tesco Ireland Ltd has pleaded guilty to breaches of consumer law and agreed to make a €1000 charity donation after an investigation found the retail giant failed to include unit pricing on price labels for its popular Clubcard products.
The retailer pleaded guilty at a hearing of the Dublin District Court on Monday June 24th to two sample charges of failing to to comply with consumer protection law in how they displayed the price of products offered at a promotional price to Clubcard holders.
It followed an investigation by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) carried out in August last year.
That probe found Tesco broke the law by failing to include unit pricing on Tesco Clubcard promotional shelf-edge labels.
The prices displayed on supermarket shelves must include detail about the price per unit – whether is price per millilitre for liquids or by weight for solids so that consumers can compare products and brand especially when packaging is different shapes and sizes.
Judge Anthony Halpin applied the Probation Act. Tesco was ordered to pay the legal costs of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) and a donation of €1,000 to the Little Flower Penny Dinners charity.
The case is due back for mention on July 29th.
On Monday Tesco said it introduced unit pricing for Clubcard prices in February this year.