A Woolwich off-licence owner who blamed a dodgy printer for trying to sell goods without a price has been prosecuted by the Council.

On 7 June, Woolwich business owner Mr Anujan Maheindra, of T K Food and Wines, pleaded guilty to four offences under the Prices Act 1974 for failing to display prices for goods he had on sale in his off licence .  

Mr Maheindra received notice and guidance from Royal Greenwich’s Trading Standards team in November 2022. In January 2023, the business was re-visited and found Mr Maheindra continued to falsely price goods.

The owner explained that due to prices rising frequently, it was difficult to update and display them in a timely manner, and that he also had ongoing printer problems.

The business was revisited in February 2023 by the Trading Standards team, who saw that items such as milk and meat did not have their prices on display.

As set out in our corporate plan, Our Greenwich, the Council has made it a priority to ensure that shops and services better meet the needs of customers to encourage more people to spend their money locally. Clearly displaying prices in shops is a fundamental requirement that empowers customers to make informed decisions about the products they are buying.

The Court gave credit for the guilty plea and imposed a fine of £100 for each charge, totalling £400 in fines, along with £500 costs and a victim surcharge of £160. Mr Maheindra was fined a total of £1060.

Cllr Ann-Marie Cousins, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Enforcement said:

“It is key that businesses in the borough are labelling goods with the correct price. Price marking is now becoming a national priority with a review of the Price Marking Order imminent to further strengthen enforcement powers.”

“We must ensure our businesses are operating transparently, so residents and local people can make the right decisions when shopping for food or other items”.

The visit and prosecution were part of a continuing programme of visits to remind businesses to clearly indicate prices for goods they have on sale.

The programme is focused on helping residents make informed decisions when buying goods, especially food, by working with businesses to make sure they display their prices.

If you would like to report a business that is not displaying prices correctly, you can do so via [email protected] or call the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08082231133.