Consultation Questions

1

For All,

1. Are there any specific areas of consumer transactions that should be a priority for allowing a choice in units of measurement, and why?

2. Are there any specific areas that you think should be excluded from a choice in units of measurement, and why?

3. If an item is sold in imperial measures, should there be a requirement for a metric equivalent alongside it?

a) No, in that moving to metric measurements only should take priority; and

b) all areas should be excluded from a choice of measurements, leaving metric as the only measurement permitted.

My reasons for both a) and b) above are …

i) allowing a choice of unit, or even a choice of the most prominent unit would make it easier for inefficient UK suppliers to survive and grow by making it harder for me and other UK purchasers to compare unit prices, thereby permanently increasing costs; and

ii) many, perhaps half, of the suppliers doing this would be foreign, leading to a permanent increase in UK import bills and further reduced UK standard of living; and

iii) it would cause immediate price increases as manufacturers took advantage of any new units to change pack sizes, thereby making it harder for me to detect reductions in pack sizes. Again me, and other UK consumers would bear the full costs of this, while over half the extra profit is likely to go abroad.

c) Yes, but even requiring metric equivalents would not completely avoid the above. For instance, round number 100g packs of chocolate etc. have become commonplace and are easy to compare. If an inefficient competitor was allowed to introduce say a devalued 3oz pack, it would not be obvious to me which had the best unit cost, leading to a less efficient market.

2

For Businesses,

What would be the consequences of your business having the freedom to sell products in imperial measures, if you wished?

3

For Consumers,

1. If you had a choice, would you want to purchase items:

   1. in imperial units?

   2. in imperial units alongside a metric equivalent?

2. Are you more likely to shop from businesses that sell in imperial units?

3. Do you foresee any costs or benefits to you from businesses being permitted to sell:

   1. solely in imperial units?

   2. in imperial units alongside a less prominent metric equivalent?

4. Do you have experience of buying solely in imperial units?

a) (I) No.

a) (ii) No.

b) No. Since I buy most groceries and other products online, I would try to avoid any supplier which did not display the weight of each item most prominently in metric units. This is the only that way that I feel able to reliably compare unit costs.

c) (i) No benefits, only costs.

c) (ii) No benefits, only costs.

d) Yes. I grew up with the old system.

If imperial measures are allowed to return, I predict that newspapers will discover that the government has allowed the industry to “level up” its profits, for instance by introducing same-price, but smaller and therefore higher-profit Pound packs of butter, alongside their old 500g packs. A little more research would then be likely to reveal that around three quarters of these increased profits were going abroad. This is firstly because 55% of our food is imported, and secondly because of the remainder, nearly half of Britain’s household brand names remit their profits to their foreign owners. This could easily lead to calls for an inquiry into how a consultation billed as “Choice on units...”, could have failed to report on the likelihood of such an obvious outcome.

4

For Trading Standards,

What potential impacts might there be on regulatory activity, including any costs or benefits?