Dan,
I can understand your confusion.
I would summarise the situation with Tesco by saying that they do still
trade in metric, as required by law. Any imperial prices or weights shown on
labels or packaging are supplementary equivalents shown alongside the
primary metric one.
They may have additional weighing scales for customer use which will
typically be dual marked but these are optional and only for convenience and
are not used in the transaction. All weighing for the purposes of price
calculation is done on legally approved metric equipment used by the staff
only.
There is one possible exception that may need clarification. Tesco do
sometimes advertise loose goods on promotional material in price/lb only.
This is typically in-store posters, but there will normally be a smaller
(less conspicuous) metric price displayed near the item itself. This is,
arguably, illegal. Tesco maintain that it isn't and claim to operate only
within the law. The peice of UK legislation that regulates the display of
prices is the Price Marking Order (equivalent to FPLA I think) and can be
seen on-line at:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2004/20040102.htm
Tesco claim the advertisements are legal because of the metric shelf edge
label. My reading of this is that advertisments don't have to show a price
but if they do then it should comply with the order. However we can't be
sure unless it's tested in court, which so far it hasn't.
Phil Hall
----- Original Message -----
From: "Daniel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 11:26 PM
Subject: [USMA:33069] RE: freight in UK
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Humphreys" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, 2005-06-02 06:39
Subject: [USMA:33057] RE: freight in UK
It's the point of sale part that is in imperial.
If I go into tesco I could see that onions were XX/lb - stick them on a
scale and choose a coupe of LBs worth.
Point of sale information changed - not the equipment
This seems like double speak! First you say the point of sale part is
imperial then you say it isn't. It can't be both. If the point of sale
still uses metric equipment, then how can the point of sale part still be
in imperial.
Mr. Hall said:
They still weigh and sell in metric. They use metric scales at the deli
counter and the till receipts are metric only. They also operate in metric
behind the scenes (inventory etc)
But you are trying to tell us different. Which of you is right? Both
can't be! If the use of metric scales persists at both the deli and the
till, then that means and can only mean the point of sale part is metric
and not imperial. How can it be imperial if the store determines your
cost by what they weigh in your presence in metric?
The stuff "behind the scenes" can be in any unit they wish - so that
needn't change - it can stay in metric.
It's only information that got converted back (with the choice of metric
still offered)
I'm not sure what you mean by "behind the scenes". If they weigh
products in the back room using a metric scale and it prints out a metric
label, wouldn't that mean that is metric too? Are the labels that the
machines print show metric and imperial or just metric only? If the back
room scales print out a dual unit label (if I understand you correctly)
wouldn't it also stand to reason that the deli counter and till scales
could do the same and the store would also dual unit print these too? I
interpret from Mr. Hall's comments that the deli and till scales are
metric only.
Dan
