Some, but not all, local stores in East-Central Illinois post unit prices. I always carry a pocket calculator with me when I go for groceries. This beats trying to get *accurate* results by three-digit mental arithmetic, and certainly, by two-digit approximations, when I want to compare unit prices. EAM ---- Original message ---- >Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2011 13:20:09 -0400 >From: "Kilopascal" <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: [USMA:50310] Fw: Interesting Customary Error -- Dove Body Wash >To: <[email protected]>, "John M. Steele" <[email protected]>, >"U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > > I visited my local discount store this morning and > even though they do have shelf labels that describe > the product and state the retail price, they do not > have unit price information. > > > > > Yes, I'm aware that the unit price labels appear on > the shelf and not on the product. They may be easily > changed but that doesn't mean they are a high > priority and get done when a price changes unless > the store computer automatically generates a new > unit price label when prices change and the manager > hires a person just to go around up-dating the > labels. > > I personally don't look at the labels and I'm not > even sure if the discount stores I frequent bother > with the labels. It may only be the pricier stores > that use them. Part of getting the same product > cheaper is that the cost to produce the labels is > eliminated when the labels are not used. > > I'm just wondering what can be done to > promote products like handheld computers that can be > used in the stores to display prices and other > information in SI units to the user. I think that > is the way to go instead of the nonsense of labels. > I don't expect the country to change, but I for one > would like it so I can function completely in metric > in the market even if I'm the only one. > > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: <[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, 2011-04-09 12:34 > To: "Kilopascal" <[email protected]>; "John M. > Steele" <[email protected]>; "U.S. Metric > Association" <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [USMA:50310] Fw: Interesting Customary > Error -- Dove Body Wash > > > Posting of "Unit Price" information is usually on > *shelf labels*, only once, > > easily changed by grocers or other vendors as the > marked price fluctuates. > > > > The "Unit Price" is almost never on each of the > many containers of a particular product clustered on > a single shelf. It would be too costly to change > every label of unit price every time the market > price went up or down. EAM. > > > > ---- Original message ---- > >>Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2011 11:50:49 -0400 > >>From: "Kilopascal" <[email protected]> > >>Subject: Re: [USMA:50310] Fw: Interesting > Customary Error -- Dove Body Wash > >>To: "John M. Steele" <[email protected]>, > "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > >> > >> The only way to do metrication correctly is to > have > >> standard rounded sizes. This way there is no > need > >> or the added cost of unit price labels that no > one > >> looks at. What could happen in the future is > that > >> those with cell phones or hand-held mini > computers > >> can scan their own bar codes and enter or scan > a > >> code for the store and get the unit price or > total > >> price of any product of the same type plus any > >> discounts offered. Plus it may be able to > compare > >> prices between stores for a true comparison of > >> prices. > >> > >> With this a person can choose the units, thus a > >> pro-metric person can get all of the > information in > >> SI units. I would hope that computerization > would > >> allow for customers to be able to request > metric > >> amounts at the deli counter and pricing to be > >> displayed on your hand device in grams and > >> kilograms. Your hand device could list the > price of > >> the products you are interested in in metric > units > >> and even "talk" to the scale to display the > mass in > >> grams or kilograms for your purchase. > >> > >> Even the GPS system for travel can make signs > >> obsolete and the in-car navigation system will > allow > >> for a user to have all of his data displayed in > SI > >> units, including the speed limit for the road > >> rounded to the nearest 10 km/h. Distances to > >> near-by towns or final destinations can be > displayed > >> or spoken in metric only. Some of this may > already > >> be done, but it can be expanded to all cars or > >> drivers. > >> > >> The same would be true for anything purchased, > >> whether it be gasoline, electricity, gas, > water, > >> etc. Computerization should allow a pro-metric > >> person to have all of his data and billing in > SI > >> only without ever having to be exposed to > non-SI. > >> > >> There should be no automatic default set of > units. > >> The systems should ask your choice and set that > >> as your default. > >> > >> Of course such systems would perpetuate non > metric > >> forever (I can't see America ever changing > unless > >> forced to under a dictatorship) but at least a > >> metric person would not be handicapped by > exposure > >> to non-metric. > >> > >> > >> From: John M. Steele > >> Sent: Saturday, 2011-04-09 09:14 > >> To: Kilopascal > >> Subject: Re: [USMA:50310] Fw: Interesting > Customary > >> Error -- Dove Body Wash > >> Unit prices have their own rounding rules. IF > >> conversion is done correctly, (per FPLA/UPLR) > it is > >> insignificant, perhaps 1 digit in last place. > When > >> a conversion is wrong, it is driven by the > >> conversion error. I was looking for a way to > make > >> dual a nuisance to the grocer, then they > wouldn't > >> love it so much. I don't entirely believe my > own > >> argument, but a lawyer could make the argument. > >> Technically, considering just one declaration > is > >> wrong, but the error should be minor. > >> > >> The UPC code itself is only an item number and > >> doesn't encode all that info; however, the item > >> number is an input to a database where it can > all be > >> looked up. I assume grocers pay for the > software. > >> > >> > ------------------------------------------------ > >> > >> From: Kilopascal <[email protected]> > >> To: [email protected]; U.S. Metric > >> Association <[email protected]> > >> Sent: Sat, April 9, 2011 9:03:26 AM > >> Subject: [USMA:50310] Fw: Interesting Customary > >> Error -- Dove Body Wash > >> Interesting how a wrong choice of unit > conversions > >> can effect the unit price shown on the labels. > But > >> I'm wondering if anyone really notices or even > >> bothers to look at those labels. How many are > >> present and how many get changed when prices > >> change? They may not be that reliable and are > often > >> ignored. > >> > >> Have you actually done a calculation of the > price > >> you paid per both the metric and USC > declarations > >> and compared them to the unit price label to > see > >> which matches? Since the unit price labels > would be > >> generated by the store, it is possible they > could be > >> done per the metric amount and the store has > the > >> option to print with a choice of units and > choose to > >> display in USC. > >> > >> I would think that the machine that prints the > unit > >> price label actually reads the bar code info > >> (nothing is typed in manually). The size > >> information would be encoded in the bar code > and it > >> may be only the metric size and does the > calculation > >> based on that size. The only way to know for > sure > >> is to ask the manager (if he knows) how the > unit > >> price label is actually generated in the first > >> place. > >> > >> If the bar codes are suppose to be universal > and if > >> they do encode the size then it would stand to > >> reason that the metric size would be encoded. > >> > >> You can then compare the printed label to what > you > >> actually calculated. > >> > >> > http://www.ehow.com/how_7202174_interpret-bar-code-information.html > >> > >> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Article_Number_%28EAN%29 > >> > >> I couldn't find anything that gives specific > details > >> as to what is encoded in the bar codes of > specific > >> consumer products. Maybe you may have better > luck. > >> > >> > >> > >> > >>[USMA:50310] Fw: Interesting Customary Error -- > Dove Body > >> Wash > >> > >> John M. Steele > >> Thu, 07 Apr 2011 05:07:04 -0700 > >> > >> I return to belaboring the Dove Body Wash in > lighting of the discussion on > >> amending FPLA to permissive-metric-only and the > FMI position rant on the > >> subject. > >> > >> It is obvious that FMI advocates using only the > Customary contents to determine > >> unit pricing. The difference between 200 mL and > 6.76 fl oz is pretty small; > >> however, the error to the mistaken 6.67 fl oz is > about 1.3%, and causes the > >> unit > >> price to be overstated, making Dove look pricey > compared to competitors. > >> > >> It also suggests that when net contents are dual, > the only correct way to > >> determine unit price is for the label software to > compare BOTH claims, > >> determine > >> the larger (just as inspectors would in net > contents audits), and base the unit > >> price on the larger claim.. Since FMI considers > the present law so perfect that > >> any change would be an abomination, perhaps they > would endorse calculating > >> correct unit prices on that basis. ..
