(BOSTON 2/26/2026) — The Massachusetts Senate today passed a bill modifying the Commonwealth’s unit pricing exemption law to keep the policy in line with its original intent; to support neighborhood bodegas, convenience stores, and small family-owned grocery shops by modernizing the unit pricing law.

The bill, introduced and championed by Second Worcester District Senator Michael Moore, ensures that smaller retailers will continue to be exempt from unit pricing requirements. While unit pricing laws are extremely useful for consumers to compare prices between similar products at large supermarkets, places like convenience stores typically only stock one or two of each item on offer – creating a costly regulatory burden for small businessowners to implement a label that isn’t useful to most customers.

“The unit pricing exemption is a simple way to cut expenses for small businesses and support the communities they serve. However, in the two decades since the policy was written into law, the $5 million revenue threshold for the exemption has remained the same while the cost of products has risen significantly,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “This legislation makes small tweaks to how a store’s revenue is calculated to ensure the law continues to apply to the corner stores and small businesses it was originally intended to protect. I’d like to thank Senate President Karen Spilka and Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues for recognizing the importance of this issue for our local economies, as well as Senator Pavel Payano and his committee for upholding the spirit of consumer protection laws while making reasonable carveouts for small businessowners who are struggling in today’s economy.”

Massachusetts has offered an exemption from unit pricing for more than two decades to retailers with lower sales volumes – defined as establishments that generate less than $5 million in in-store sales each year, including sales of Lottery products and gift cards.

With the steady rise of inflation, introduction of higher-value Lottery products, and increased popularity of pre-paid gift cards, local businesses are more apt to exceed the exemption threshold. The legislation – S.2965, An Act updating the unit pricing exemption threshold – removes Lottery and gift card sales from the calculation of whether a store can be included in the statewide unit price exemption.

During the course of today’s debate, Senators voted to amend the bill to codify an existing exemption that removes gasoline and other motor fuel sales from the calculation.

Full details of the legislation are available in a fact sheet in the Senate Press Room.

The Senate passed the bill on a 37-0 roll call vote. The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for further review.

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