When you’re standing in the aisle at your local FairPrice, Cold Storage, or Sheng Siong, with two different bottles of detergent in front of you – one looks larger but more expensive and the other looks smaller but slightly cheaper – which one do you pick?
Many of us tend to go with gut feel or whichever product is cheaper. Some may go for the cheaper sticker price, while others may think that buying the bigger bottle will come with more overall detergent for a better deal.
This is where “boy-math” kicks in – when countless husbands, boyfriends, and sons try to do mental sums, and swapping out products for ones that they think is the better deal. Only when we have a proper comparison based on the actual numbers (i.e. price vs weight/quantity), will we know which is the best deal. What seems like a cheaper deal might actually cost you more.
In our example on the detergent, the better deal relies on whether the bigger and more expensive bottle actually has a sufficient amount of detergent to be considered the better deal.
That’s why “unit pricing” is coming to supermarkets, showing all consumers whether a product really is cheaper.
What We Get Wrong Without Unit Pricing
So, what exactly is unit pricing? Instead of looking at the total cost, you can just look at the cost per unit of measurement, whether that’s per 100 grams, per 100 millilitres, or per litre. It’s the only way to make a fair, apples-to-apples comparison between products of different sizes and packaging.
We all know that supermarkets are extremely well-honed in how to nudge consumer behaviour. Price tags are big and bold, with promotions designed to look irresistible.
Take the example of a “Buy two, save 30%” promotion of a premium brand. That sounds like a bargain but unless you calculate the cost per gram or per millilitre, you might still be paying more per unit than if you just bought the single item of the usual brand you buy. Notwithstanding quality here, the promotion isn’t giving you a better deal.
Thinking a bigger bottle must offer an overall better deal, or that a promotion must be good because it’s selling at a discount is not enough. In reality, though, you could be paying extra for packaging, or falling for “shrinkflation” where the size gets smaller while the price stays the same.
Unit pricing cuts through all that noise. With a standard, universal measure, you can see at a glance which option really gives you the best value for your money.
Singapore’s Push For Unit Pricing
From 1 September, a pilot programme was rolled out across major supermarkets like NTUC FairPrice, Sheng Siong, Giant, and Cold Storage to display unit pricing on shelf labels.
This initiative was announced in a joint press release by the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) and the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) and the pilot programme is set to run for eight weeks at selected outlets.
The unit pricing will cover selected grocery categories, including rice, meat, eggs, cooking oils, fruits, and vegetables.
It also means that instead of you whipping out your iPhone calculator, the shelf tag itself shows the cost per kilogram or per litre.
This isn’t the first time the push for transparency has been made. Back in 2023, CASE actually introduced unit pricing on its Price Kaki app. At launch, the app displayed unit pricing for more than 1,200 items across categories like fresh milk, oils and sauces, packet drinks, and household products.
The intent was clear in that it wanted to help consumers make better-informed decisions, especially when inflation and the recently-implemented GST hike were pushing up household expenses.
CASE noted then that many shoppers were already switching to house brands, which are typically 10% to 25% cheaper than big brand names. By showing unit prices, Price Kaki gave people the confidence to see if they were really getting more bang for their buck.
Why It Matters To Consumers (And Why It May Not)
The cost of living remains one of the top concerns for Singapore households. Prices for groceries, utilities, and dining have all crept up. Some of us might cope by shopping more at discount grocers or switching brands, while others are cutting back. Every little bit of savings count.
However, while this pilot period is a step in the right direction, CCCS did state that the minimum requirement for the rollout of unit pricing was eight weeks. After that, though, operators “may opt to continue the display of unit pricing on their own”.
That means that there will be no obligation on the part of retailers to continue displaying unit pricing once the pilot programme’s minimum duration of eight weeks is finalised. Nevertheless, supermarket chains that decide to continue and even expand unit pricing across its stores will earn a better standing with consumers by standing on their side.
For consumers, the struggle of rising prices is real so any measures to help them save should be applauded.
Here’s a quick example of how unit pricing could benefit consumers:
- If a bottle of cooking oil costs $8.50 for 2 litres, the unit price is $0.425 per 100 ml
- Another brand might offer a 1.5-litre bottle at $6.90, which works out to $0.46 per 100 ml
At a glance, the $6.90 option looks cheaper because the price tag is lower. But in reality, you’re paying more per unit. Over time, and across your entire basket of groceries every week or month, these small differences add up.
Making It Second Nature To Do Mental Arithmetic
For unit pricing to work, we (as shoppers) need to get into the habit of uncovering it. This means shifting our focus away from bold, loud promotions and overall price tags to that small line that tells you cost per 100 grams or per kilogram.
By training on “boy-math”, you make it a reflex to check the unit prices. Making it a similar habit to how some of us think of it as automatic to glance at expiry dates.
Once we’ve experienced the clarity of knowing which product really offers better value, going back to relying on guesswork feels like we’re not doing enough to save money. It’s certainly an easy way to trim unnecessary “leakage” in our grocery spending.
At the end of the day, we also have to make comparisons on our preference and quality of the product. A cheaper product, even on unit pricing, may not suit our personal taste preferences. Or, it could be that the quality is poorer than the brand we normally buy, and hence we prefer not to buy the cheaper product.
Managing Check-Out Prices
The truth is we’re all prone to falling for marketing gimmicks and promotions when shopping, and supermarket shopping is no exception. Discounts, packaging, and promotions can cloud our decision-making.Whether you call it “boy-math, or unit pricing, Singapore supermarkets are taking a step in the right direction by piloting unit pricing on shelf labels – even if it is only for the next eight weeks. With this, consumers have more tools to help them shop smarter. And, will be more aware if certain supermarket chains decide to continue showing unit prices more fairly, while others take them down.
