ISO 21041:2018
(Main)Guidance on unit pricing
Guidance on unit pricing
This document gives principles and best practice guidelines for unit pricing displayed by written, printed or electronic means. It includes guidance on — the provision of unit price, — units of measure used to express unit price including: weight, length, volume, count, area and other forms of measure, — the display of unit price, and — implementation, communication and education of consumers. This document is applicable to any retailer, including supermarkets, hardware stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, automotive parts suppliers and pet product suppliers. It is applicable to packaged and non-packaged food and consumer products where the price is displayed, including — at point of sale, including in-store and online, and — when relevant communications about the product are released (including advertising by electronic and printed formats). This document excludes services and merchandise, such as clothing and electronic goods sold as a single item.
Préconisations concernant l'indication des prix à l'unité
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 21041
First edition
2018-11
Guidance on unit pricing
Préconisations concernant l'indication des prix à l'unité
Reference number
©
ISO 2018
© ISO 2018
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Fax: +41 22 749 09 47
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved
Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Objective . 2
5 Main principles . 3
5.1 General . 3
5.2 Provision . 3
5.3 Units of measure . 3
5.4 Displaying unit price . 3
5.5 Consistency . 3
5.6 Planning, implementing and monitoring . 3
5.7 Communication . 3
5.8 Consumer education . 3
6 Provision of unit price . 4
6.1 General . 4
6.2 Consistency of provision of unit price . 4
6.3 Special offers . 4
7 Units of measure . 4
7.1 General . 4
7.2 Consistency of measure . 5
7.3 Measurement and calculation . 5
7.3.1 Accuracy . 5
7.3.2 Rounding . . 5
8 Displaying unit price . 5
8.1 General . 5
8.2 Location (proximity to selling price) . 5
8.3 Font type . 6
8.4 Font size . 6
8.5 Colour and contrast . 6
8.6 White space . 6
8.7 Border(s) and box . 6
8.8 Expression of “unit price” . 6
8.9 Obscuring . 6
8.10 Format . 6
8.11 Symbols and abbreviations . 6
8.12 Monetary denomination . 7
8.13 Consistency of displaying unit price . 7
8.14 Non-ambiguity . 7
9 Provision and display in-store . 7
9.1 General . 7
9.2 Lower shelves in-store . 7
9.3 Viewing distance and angle. 7
9.4 Surface reflection . 7
10 Provision and display online . 7
11 Provision and display in advertising . 8
12 Establishing a new in-store or online unit pricing system . 8
13 Consumer education . 8
Annex A (informative) Examples of the potential benefits of unit price provision.10
Annex B (informative) Guidance for depicting unit price information on labels .11
Annex C (informative) International system of units of measure and abbreviations .14
Annex D (informative) Example of establishing a new in-store or online unit pricing system .16
Bibliography .18
iv © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www .iso
.org/iso/foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Project Committee ISO/PC 294, Guidance on unit pricing.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/members .html.
Introduction
Unit pricing is the display of the price of a product per standard unit of measure. For example, a 500 g
bag of rice offered at $2,00 would display a unit price of $4,00 per kg. A 2 kg bag of rice offered at
$7,00 would display a unit price of $3,50 per kg. It may be provided for packaged products (containing
constant or variable quantities) or non-packaged products. Unit pricing provides consumers with a base
price with which to compare like items of different sizes and brands. It can greatly reduce confusion
and help consumers make better informed choices, especially when there are a multitude of products,
brands and package sizes.
This document is intended to improve the accuracy and usability of unit
...
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 21041
First edition
2018-11
Guidance on unit pricing
Préconisations concernant l'indication des prix à l'unité
Reference number
©
ISO 2018
© ISO 2018
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Fax: +41 22 749 09 47
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved
Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Objective . 2
5 Main principles . 3
5.1 General . 3
5.2 Provision . 3
5.3 Units of measure . 3
5.4 Displaying unit price . 3
5.5 Consistency . 3
5.6 Planning, implementing and monitoring . 3
5.7 Communication . 3
5.8 Consumer education . 3
6 Provision of unit price . 4
6.1 General . 4
6.2 Consistency of provision of unit price . 4
6.3 Special offers . 4
7 Units of measure . 4
7.1 General . 4
7.2 Consistency of measure . 5
7.3 Measurement and calculation . 5
7.3.1 Accuracy . 5
7.3.2 Rounding . . 5
8 Displaying unit price . 5
8.1 General . 5
8.2 Location (proximity to selling price) . 5
8.3 Font type . 6
8.4 Font size . 6
8.5 Colour and contrast . 6
8.6 White space . 6
8.7 Border(s) and box . 6
8.8 Expression of “unit price” . 6
8.9 Obscuring . 6
8.10 Format . 6
8.11 Symbols and abbreviations . 6
8.12 Monetary denomination . 7
8.13 Consistency of displaying unit price . 7
8.14 Non-ambiguity . 7
9 Provision and display in-store . 7
9.1 General . 7
9.2 Lower shelves in-store . 7
9.3 Viewing distance and angle. 7
9.4 Surface reflection . 7
10 Provision and display online . 7
11 Provision and display in advertising . 8
12 Establishing a new in-store or online unit pricing system . 8
13 Consumer education . 8
Annex A (informative) Examples of the potential benefits of unit price provision.10
Annex B (informative) Guidance for depicting unit price information on labels .11
Annex C (informative) International system of units of measure and abbreviations .14
Annex D (informative) Example of establishing a new in-store or online unit pricing system .16
Bibliography .18
iv © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www .iso
.org/iso/foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Project Committee ISO/PC 294, Guidance on unit pricing.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/members .html.
Introduction
Unit pricing is the display of the price of a product per standard unit of measure. For example, a 500 g
bag of rice offered at $2,00 would display a unit price of $4,00 per kg. A 2 kg bag of rice offered at
$7,00 would display a unit price of $3,50 per kg. It may be provided for packaged products (containing
constant or variable quantities) or non-packaged products. Unit pricing provides consumers with a base
price with which to compare like items of different sizes and brands. It can greatly reduce confusion
and help consumers make better informed choices, especially when there are a multitude of products,
brands and package sizes.
This document is intended to improve the accuracy and usability of unit
...
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