在日益价格意识的世界中，能够比较同等产品的价格以做出明智的选择是消费者的权利。但是面对商场货架上琳琅满目、包装和规格各不相同的产品，做出这一选择可不是件容易的事情。为了解决这个问题，正在制定一项旨在改进数量显示方式的ISO标准。

现如今，走进任意一家零售超市不亚于走进茂密的森林当中。相似的产品却有着不同的包装风格、产品重量和规格，这给比价带来重重困难。不过，消费者可通过对比商品的单位定价来衡量价格。一瓶250毫升的盒装牛奶售价1美元，因此，容量为一升的盒装牛奶售价应为四美元。不过单位定价制并未广泛应用于各行各业，而且即使有的商品标明了单位定价，要麽模糊不可辨识，要么与实际不符。因此，单位价格比对法并不很有效。

答案在于协调。 一个新的ISO项目委员会 – ISO / PC 294 – 刚刚建立，以制定单位定价标准。该项标准将确立单位定价的准则和原则，零售商和消费者均可获取和使用这一标准。本次我们特别邀请了单位定价指南项目委员会主席席约翰.费尔班克（John Furbank）先生，共同探讨单位定价法在市场上的地位以及新的标准如何促进该定价法应用于市场。

ISO关注

1、目前，单位定价法得到较广泛的应用，在某些国家，其已经成为法律或法规要求。那么，ISO为何要针对这一领域建立项目委员会呢？

 单位定价指南项目委员会主席席约翰.费尔班克（John Furbank）: 我们都知道，预先包装的物品的销售在全世界正在增加。许多零售连锁店跨国界运作，并使用相同的系统在所有商店中标价。因此，很多人认为，国际标准不仅能保证同一地区采用一致的标价方式，还能为政府或企业引入单位定价体系提供相关指导。

目前，单位定价的使用还不规范，有的国家强制使用，而有的国家则自愿使用。在有些国家，单位定价很少被使用，但在加拿大、美国等国家，使用单位定价是部分地区的法律规定。即使在一些使用单位定价的地区，消费者在比较过程中也存在一定的困难与不便，比如：单位定价与售价不符、商店内的价格信息不统一等，这些都容易给消费者造成困扰。

单位定价能帮助消费者选出性价比最高的商品，尤其当同一商品有不同规格的时候，举个例子：95克的金枪鱼罐头售价为1.99美元、145克售价2.75美元、185克售价3.69美元。

国际标准的价值体现在：它能为法律法规的制定提供最佳实践方面的指导；企业通过采用国际标准制定出更好的、便于使用的单位定价体系。

单位定价能帮助消费者通过比较同一品牌的商品或不同品牌的商品之间“单位数量的实际价格”，在知情的情况下做出购买决定，节省花销。另外，消费者省下来的钱还能用来购买更多的商品。

国际标准对那些已制定相关法规的国家也大有裨益，如欧盟国家、美国、澳大利亚等，因为零售商可以自愿采用部分标准来提高其单位定价的质量，同时也有助于完善现有法律规定或指南。

最后，标准还能让消费者了解如何有效使用单位定价，这也是目前消费者所不具备的能力。                                                        

2、单位定价标准化如何帮助消费者？零售商眼看单位定价需重新定义，消费者会否迎来价格的攀升？

制定标准是为了规范最佳实践，其主要通过明确以下几个准则来实现，一是公开标明产品的单位定价；二是设计手写、打印或电子的产品信息标签

帮助消费者看懂单位定价信息

将单位定价融入超市、五金店或药店等现有的标价体系中，所需成本并不高。因为单位定价模块可以嵌入现有的计价软件中，然后单位定价也可以通过商用打印机打印在货架标签上。

有证据表明，长期来看，消费者可以节省个人开支。我相信，若消费者知道哪一家商店或哪一种品牌的价格最低时，那么在买谷类、面粉、白糖等日用品时就能够省下一笔钱。当然，也有少部分消费者仍会选择自己中意的厂家或供应商生产的产品，哪怕价格会稍稍高一些。不过更重要的是，消费者可参考公布的价格信息，从而决定是否购买。例如，一般而言，大包洗衣粉能用两个礼拜，小包的可以用一礼拜，购买一袋大包装洗衣粉可能比买两袋小包装来的更划算，但如果没有单位定价这种衡量单位，二者则很难进行对比。

3、这项标准对零售店有何影响？其产生的“水滴效应”会给消费者带来哪些益处？

这项国际标准的目的是鼓励零售商在制定并执行其单位定价方案时，参照最佳实践方案。我相信，有效的单位定价体系能提升消费者对关心他们利益的商店的信任，从而增强零售商的竞争优势。反过来，该标准也能提升消费者满意度，提高商店声誉，塑造顾客至上、物美价廉的优良品牌形象。

此外，零售商还可参考该标准有关价签放置位置、能见性及布局等方面的指导，从而在制定相关体系时能降低设计和发发成本。便于查看的标价能够增强零售商店品牌的吸引力。

4、您觉得这项标准会被广大的消费者、零售商以及监管机构所接受吗？

各个国家甚至全球的消费维权组织都非常支持制定该项标准，例如，国际消费者协会就是ISO/PC 294的联络组织。这项标准会将促进商品贸易，加强零售商与消费者之间的互动，我相信监管机构和零售商都会充分认识到该标准的价值。

5、长远来看，您对这项标准有何看法？该标准会给行业带来哪些变化呢？

很多跨国零售连锁企业在不同国家或地区均有各自的门店，但不同地区和国家的门店采用的却是相同的定价体系。该标准鼓励连锁企业为不同国家或地区制定出符合当地实际的定价体系。如此一来，消费者可以对相邻两家商店的商品进行单位定价比较，而且这也加剧了商店间的竞争。

这项国际标准也将促进相关法律法规的完善，这对消费者和零售商而言都是有好处的。在有些已经具备相关法律法规的国家（如澳大利亚），该项标准能帮助弥补法律法规的不足之处，并完善价签内容、优化放置位置、提升可见性。另外，消费者还能通过该项标准学习如何正确使用这些信息。

反过来，对于有些还未采用单位定价体系的国家而言，该项标准能提供相应的指导，帮助他们制定出对消费者及零售商均有效实用的单位定价方案。

 

The price is right

In an increasingly price-conscious world, being able to compare prices of equivalent products in order to make an informed choice is a consumer right. But with the explosion of pre-packaged goods in different types of packaging and product sizes that has hit our shop shelves, making that choice is no easy task. To get around this, an ISO standard is being developed that aims to improve the way quantities are displayed.

The average retail store these days can sometimes feel like a jungle. Multiple types of packaging, different weights and volumes means comparing similar products on price can be a minefield. Unit pricing is one way that consumers can wade through the jungle by displaying the price of the product as a standard unit of measurement. A 250 ml carton of milk sold for USD 1, therefore, would be equivalent to a 1 l carton sold for USD 4. But unit pricing is not widespread, and where it exists, it is not always visible or consistent in terms of quantities used, making it ineffective.

The answer lies in harmonization. A new ISO project committee – ISO/PC 294 – has just been formed to develop a standard for unit pricing that will establish guidelines and principles of unit pricing, to make it accessible and useful for both retailers and consumers. We sit down with John Furbank, Chair of ISO/PC 294, Guidance on unit pricing, to discuss the status of unit pricing as it stands and how a new ISO standard can help.

ISOfocus: Unit pricing is already used quite widely and, in some countries, it is even a legal or regulatory requirement. Why, then, was it decided to develop an ISO project committee in this area?

John Furbank, Chair of ISO/PC 294,Guidance on unit pricing.

John Furbank: We know now that the sale of pre-packed items is increasing throughout the world. At the same time, many retail chains operate across national boundaries and use the same system for marking prices in all their stores. It was therefore agreed that an International Standard could result in displays that are consistent in a locality and provide guidance to governments or businesses wishing to introduce unit pricing regimes.

Currently, unit pricing is quite ad hoc, varying from legislative requirements to voluntary codes. In some countries, it is rarely present, while in others, such as Canada and the US, it is legislated in some states but not all. Where it does exist, activity can be uncoordinated or difficult for consumers to use, because, for example, the unit price is not adjacent to the sale price or the layout of information is not consistent throughout the store, making it difficult to read.

Unit pricing, then, will assist consumers in deciding which item is the best value for money, something that is difficult to do when, for example, tins of tuna are offered for sale at USD 1.99 for 95 g, USD 2.75 for 145 g or USD 3.69 for 185 g.

The value of an International Standard is that it can bring best practice guidance to the various codes and regulations and may be used by industry to develop better and more user-friendly unit pricing systems.

Unit pricing will assist consumers in making informed purchasing decisions and thus potentially save money by comparing the actual price per unit quantity of products that are of the same nature or between different brands. It is also suggested that consumers may, by saving on basic items, purchase more items knowing that they are still within budget.

In countries that have unit price legislation already, such as EU countries, the US and Australia, an International Standard will be beneficial because parts of the standard could be voluntarily adopted by retailers to enhance the quality of their unit pricing, thus acting as a catalyst for improving existing legislation/guidelines.

Last but not least, the standard could help educate consumers on how to use unit pricing effectively, which is currently lacking.

How will standardization of unit pricing help consumers? Will they risk a rise in prices as retailers see the adjustment of units being measured?

The objective of the standard is to establish best practice by defining principles for:

• Displaying and disclosing the unit price of products
• Designing labels and information material displayed by written, printed or electronic means
• Educating consumers in the use of unit pricing

The cost of incorporating unit pricing into existing pricing display systems in supermarkets, hardware stores or pharmacies would be marginal because the unit pricing module may be added to existing software and incorporated in shelf labels printed on a normal commercial office printer.

Evidence suggests that consumers can save money over time, and I feel certain that there will at least be a reduction in price for basic commodities such as cereals, flour and sugar when consumers can clearly see which store or brand is the cheapest. Of course, some customers may still choose to buy the more expensive item if it is from their preferred manufacturer or supplier, but the important thing is that they will be presented with information that enables them to make an informed choice. A large pack of washing powder that will last two weeks, for example, may be a more economical option than buying a smaller pack each week, but this would be difficult to establish without unit pricing.

How will this impact retailers? And what trickle-down effects will consumers see?

The aim of the International Standard is to encourage retailers to use best practice when developing and maintaining a unit pricing scheme. I believe that providing better unit pricing gives retailers a competitive edge by encouraging consumers to have more trust in the store that shows it has their best interest at heart. This, in turn, helps boost customer satisfaction and improves the store’s reputation as being customer-focused and providing better value for money.

Moreover, retailers will be able to reduce design and research costs by developing a system using the standard’s guidance on positioning, visibility and configuration of labels. Displaying the unit price in a user-friendly manner may also promote the appeal of private store brands.

How do you see the future standard being received by retailers, regulators and consumers?

Consumer groups, locally and internationally, are very supportive of the standardʼs development (Consumers International is a liaison member of ISO/PC 294). I am confident that regulators and retailers will see the value of this standard if it provides, as intended, a practical method of encouraging good trading practices and, for retailers, a platform for consumer engagement.

What are your long-term expectations of the standard? What changes will it bring about in the industry, if any?

Many retail chains operate across national boundaries and use the same system for marking prices in all their stores wherever they are situated. The standard will encourage tailor-made systems for particular countries or areas so that consumers may easily compare the unit price of items in different, but adjacent, stores. This, in turn, could increase competition between stores.

Evidence suggests that consumers can save money over time.

It is my belief that the International Standard will promote the development of future regulatory requirements for unit pricing, which will be of benefit to both consumers and suppliers. In some countries, such as Australia, which have unit pricing regulations in place, the standard will help identify weaknesses and improve the layout, prominence and visibility of labels. What’s more, it will establish a pathway for educating consumers on how to use this information.

Conversely, in countries where unit pricing does not currently exist, the standard will provide a guide on what principles need to be applied to make any proposed unit pricing scheme useful for consumers and practical for retailers.