New government regulations should make it easier for consumers to comparison-shop for good deals at supermarkets and other large stores in Qatar.

All retail outlets larger than 400 square meters will soon be required to display the unit price of a good alongside its sale price, according to the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC).

For example, this means a store selling cooking oil in 500mL, 1L and 1.5L containers would have to state the price in a standard unit – the price per liter or per 100mL – in addition to how much each product costs.

Meanwhile, prices of items that are more commonly measured by weight will be required to display the per kilogram or per 100g price.

And products sold by length will need to have a per-meter price, while items sold by area must be priced per square meter.

The goal is to make is easier for consumers to compare the cost of competing products and drive down prices, the MEC said in a statement.

Retailers have six months to comply, the ministry added.

Similar unit pricing rules are in place in Australia as well as several US states.

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