How do I read the pence per nappy on Tesco, Asda and Aldi shelf tickets?

What does the small £0.xx/each line mean?

The big number is the selling price — what you pay for that pack. The smaller line is the unit price. GOV.UK guidance on the Price Marking Order 2004 (as amended from 6 April 2026) says that where a product is sold by number, the unit price is the final price, including VAT, for one item. For nappies that item is one nappy, not 100g and not the whole bag.

The same guidance uses a four-apple pack at £3 as £0.75 each. A 48-nappy pack works the same way: selling price divided by 48. Trading Standards' Business Companion adds that where the unit price is below £1, it must be given to the nearest 0.1p, which is why you see figures such as £0.061/each rather than a rounded 6p.

The Price Marking Order applies to Great Britain. Northern Ireland has its own Price Marking Order (Northern Ireland) 2004. Small shops with a retail floor area of 280 square metres or less do not have to show a unit price on pre-packed goods of a constant quantity.

How do Tesco, Asda and Aldi nappy tickets differ?

All three print a pack total. The unit line uses slightly different wording, and loyalty or price-match flashes can sit next to it. Read the line that names each or 1 Each, not a price-per-kilo leftover from another aisle.

Aldi's public Mamia listing is a useful illustration of the format: a size-5 jumbo 72-pack was shown at £4.89 with (£0.07/1 Each) on 10 September 2026. That 7p is a snapshot of one SKU, not a rate to memorise.

How do I turn a pack price into pence per nappy?

Use this when the unit line is missing, hard to read, or you want to check the shop's arithmetic against the count on the bag.

1. 1
   Read the selling price you will pay Take the till price, not a struck-through 'was' figure. If a Clubcard or multi-buy applies only when you meet a condition, use the price that applies to your basket.
2. 2
   Read the count on the pack Copy the number of nappies (for example 48, 72, 84). Do not use the size number (size 4 is not a count).
3. 3
   Divide selling price by count £2.88 ÷ 48 = £0.06, which is 6p per nappy. £5.04 ÷ 84 is also 6p. The cheaper-looking 48-pack and the dearer-looking 84-pack can be the same unit price.
4. 4
   Compare like with like Same size, same style (taped nappy or nappy pants), same absorbency line (standard versus plus). A size-4 tape next to a size-4 pant is not a like-for-like pence.

When can the unit price be missing or the wrong comparison?

• Small shops. Business Companion and the Order exempt shops with a relevant floor area of 280m² or less from showing a unit price on constant-quantity packs. Some Tesco Express and similar stores sit in that band, so you may only see the pack total.
• Promotions. GOV.UK says promotional offers should be unit-priced on the single standard item; a shop may also show a multi-buy unit price if it is clear which goods it covers. A 2-for ticket that only prints the regular £/each is not the price you pay if you take two.
• Loyalty prices. Business Companion says that where there is more than one selling price (for example a Clubcard price), the ticket must set out each selling price. The unit line you want is the one that belongs to the selling price you will pay.
• Damaged or reduced stock. The Order allows a unit-price exemption where the price is cut because of damage or risk of deterioration. Do not treat a reduced yellow sticker as the everyday pence.

If the ticket unit price and your own division disagree by more than a rounding step (0.1p below £1), photograph the ticket and the pack count. Citizens Advice and local Trading Standards handle misleading price indications; MayTally does not process complaints.

What else should I compare besides the pence figure?

Pence per nappy answers 'which pack of this size is cheaper to wear once'. It does not answer whether the baby will still be in that size next month, or whether pants will cut wasted half-taped changes on a wriggly toddler.

• Size and plus lines. Size 4 and size 4+ are different products. Plus packs advertise extra absorbency and often a different count.
• Tapes versus nappy pants. Pants usually sit on a higher £/each than tapes in the same size. Compare within the style you will actually use.
• Store format. An Extra or superstore ticket on a jumbo Fred & Flo or Little Angels box is not the same SKU as an Express carry pack.
• This week only. Own-brand pence moves when a price match or a branded 2-for lands. Do not freeze a remembered 6p as the current rate.

In shortIn short: ignore which pack looks cheaper on the big number. Read £/each or £/1 Each for the same size and style, or divide the till price by the count on the bag. That is the comparison the Price Marking Order is designed to give you.