How do I read the unit price on Swiss supermarket price tags?

As of June 2026. The big, bold number on the shelf only tells you what you pay at the till, not whether the product is cheap or expensive. For that you need the unit price: the price per measurable unit (per kilogram, per litre or per 100 grams). In Switzerland it almost always sits on the tag because the Price Indication Ordinance (Preisbekanntgabeverordnung, PBV) requires it. This guide shows where the unit price is, how to do the maths, and why a larger pack or a promotion is often worse per kilo than the small pack beside it. The rules below are sourced to SECO (the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs) and the consumer magazine K-Tipp, and dated.

What is the unit price and where is it on a Swiss price tag?

The unit price is the shelf price converted to a fixed unit. For measurable goods, meaning goods priced by weight, volume or length, the retailer must always show it under Art. 5 PBV (source: seco.admin.ch). On the shelf label it is usually in small print, often in brackets or on a second line, for example:

• Jam, 185 g, CHF 2.70, in small print: 100 g = CHF 1.46
• Rapeseed oil, 1 litre, CHF 4.95, next to it: 1 l = CHF 4.95
• Loose minced meat, tag shows CHF 16.50 / kg

Rule of thumb: kilogram and litre are the usual units, while small or light products (spices, chocolates, bakery items) are often shown per 100 g. What matters is comparing the same unit within the same product type. If a shop sells something purely by piece (for example a single lettuce), the unit price may be missing under Art. 5 PBV, but those exceptions are interpreted narrowly (source: seco.admin.ch).

Why is the big pack often dearer per kilo? A worked example

Many shoppers buy the XXL pack assuming it must be cheaper. The consumer magazine K-Tipp regularly shows the opposite in its spot checks: for sweets, rice, mayonnaise or cottage cheese the large pack can cost noticeably more per kilo than the small one (source: K-Tipp). Only the unit price reveals this. Here is a deliberately simple example to work through yourself (figures purely illustrative, not from a real shop):

How to do it yourself: divide the shelf price by the quantity, then scale to the unit you want. CHF 3.20 for 400 g is CHF 0.80 per 100 g, so CHF 8.00 per kilo. In Switzerland that figure is already printed in small text on the tag, so you only have to read it and hold the two unit prices side by side. If you would rather not gather per-unit prices yourself at the shelf, a neutral price app helps: compare prices across Switzerland and see the unit price per kg at a glance.

How do I spot a fake discount using the unit price?

A struck-through price looks like a bargain, but it is only a real discount when the earlier price can be proven. The PBV governs comparison prices in Art. 16 and 17: with a price reduction it must be clear which earlier price is the basis, and blanket, unprovable "was" prices count as misleading (source: seco.admin.ch). The unit price is your best test: if the promo price per kilo is still above the unit price of a normal pack in the same category, the offer is no real saving. Two quick checks before you buy:

• Compare the promo unit price per kg with the unit price of the standard pack next to it, not just the bold number.
• Distrust round "was" prices with no date or proof. The Price Supervisor and SECO monitor exactly these claims, with the cantons handling enforcement.

More on this: reading labels and the price per kilo and using coupons and vouchers properly.

What does Swiss law say about the unit price?

The duty to display prices sits in the Price Indication Ordinance (PBV). For measurable goods the unit price is mandatory under Art. 5 PBV, so that consumers can compare different pack sizes (source: seco.admin.ch). SECO holds overall oversight and supports the cantons, which carry out enforcement. In other words you have a right to see the per-unit price; if it is missing on measurable goods you may ask for it. That legally required figure is exactly what Rappn puts to work: instead of walking seven chains one by one, you see the per-unit price for Migros, Coop, Aldi, Lidl, Denner, Aligro and Otto's side by side. Rappn has no agreements with the retailers, so it is neutral, lists over 10,000 offers from over 3,000 supermarkets and is 100 percent free. Download Rappn on the App Store or Google Play and compare the unit price of your next shopping list before you leave home.