Loose or pre packed?
Products like the fuel we put in our cars and oil for our central heating systems are sold by volume. For transactions in goods such as carpets and timber it is the measurement of area or length that is important. Weights and measures law makes a distinction between goods sold loose from bulk and those which are pre-packed. Loose from bulk sales take place when the quantity required by the customer is determined at the time of purchase. In these circumstances any equipment needed to measure the quantity is operated during the transaction. When selling loose from bulk the trader must give an indication of the unit price, for example the price per litre of petrol. Whatever quantity the customer requires he can work out the price to pay from this price indication. The alternative to this is pre-packing where the goods are packed ready for sale before the customer arrives. This can equally include a punnet of strawberries made up by your greengrocer or a packet of crisps packed in a factor
