Plans for a return to imperial measurements have been slammed as posing needless disruption and expense for supermarkets already tackling extraordinary inflationary pressures.
The move would heap yet more cost pressures on supermarkets if products needed to be relabelled, said the BRC.
“Supermarkets are focusing on delivering the best value for their customers in the face of intense inflationary pressures,” said Andrea Martinez-Inchausti, BRC assistant director of food.
“Introducing new laws to change the way we measure food and drink would both distract from this vital task and add cost and complexity if existing products are required to be relabelled.”
The government is set to launch a consultation on how use of imperial measurements can be increased in post-Brexit Britain. According to The Sunday Mirror, PM Boris Johnson will announce the move this Friday to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
But a source at one major retailer told The Grocer supermarkets were unlikely to make any changes unless they were mandated. “It’s a sideshow by the PM,” the supermarket source said.
“I don’t think we will be doing anything until and unless it’s confirmed. Even then, I can’t imagine supermarkets switching to it, as it will be optional.”
Packaged and loose goods can already be labelled with imperial measurements in England, Scotland and Wales, but only alongside a metric measurement and the former must not stand out more than the latter. The only exceptions in food and drink are milk in returnable containers and draught beer and cider, which can be sold by the pint.
The move to revive imperial measurements has also been criticised by smaller retailers.
Federation of Independent Retailers deputy vice president Shahid Razzaq said: “This is a needless exercise. The government should be more worried about the local shops which are hubs of the community closing down due to rising energy, staff and fuel costs.
“The plight of the high streets is being ignored while the government play unnecessary games about imperial measures.”
ACS CEO James Lowman said the trade body would engage with the consultation but added: “We are approaching this with the objective of trying to minimise cost and disruption for businesses and consumers.”
Shopfloor Insights Founder Bryan Roberts said: “I struggle to see how any major retailer would think it remotely sensible to reintroduce imperial measurements beyond those that are currently used such as pints for milk. There are whole generations who have grown up with metric and the actual demand for the reintroduction of imperial does not appear to exist outside certain obscure corners of politics.
“Apart from anything else, grocery retailers have got enough to deal with without layering on extra cost and complexity for no apparent reason.”
Sentinel Management Consultants CEO David Sables said: “We would be better off sorting simplified consolidated communication for healthy eating rather than complicating an area which was already okay.”
Current restrictions on the use of imperial measurements derive from EU law, including the weights and measures directive of 2000. The government signalled its intention to launch a review in September last year as part of plans to “capitalise on new Brexit freedoms”.
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