A small seller can compare a product with a rival’s fairly by comparing items that serve the same purpose, choosing a specific feature buyers can check, and stating the conditions and date behind the claim. Avoid a broad claim such as “best” unless you can explain exactly what was measured and show evidence that supports it.
Before publishing, save the two offers you compared and record the item, feature, unit, date and conditions. If the products or evidence do not line up, narrow the claim or leave it out. Kenya’s Competition Authority guidelines describe comparisons in terms of similar purpose and objective, relevant, verifiable and representative features; they are guidance, not a court ruling, and were revised in 2017.[1]
Start with the buyer’s decision
A comparison works best when it helps someone answer a real question: Which container holds more? Which charger has the longer cable? What is the price per kilogram? That question gives the comparison a boundary. It also keeps the ad from turning into a general judgement about a rival.
Write the buyer’s question in one sentence before drafting the claim. Then decide whether the products are close enough to compare for that purpose. Two bags may both be described as travel bags, for example, but differ in size, materials or intended use. If one is a small day bag and the other is a large travel case, a simple “ours holds more” comparison may tell buyers little unless you specify what you measured and why the items are being compared.
The Competition Authority of Kenya’s guidelines say comparative ads should concern goods that meet the same needs or purpose. They also call for comparisons based on material, relevant, verifiable and representative features, and say conditions should accompany superiority claims. For a practical ad, that means matching the items first and selecting one clear point of comparison second.[1]
Build a small evidence record
Use a simple record you can revisit when an offer changes. For each comparison, save:
- The exact product name, model or variant on each side.
- The feature being compared and its unit, such as millilitres, centimetres or shillings per kilogram.
- The source of each figure, such as the product label, specification or offer page.
- The date you checked the information.
- Any conditions that affect the comparison, including what is included in the price or measurement.
A screenshot or saved copy of each offer can help you remember what a buyer could see at the time. Keep the comparison itself beside those records so another person in the shop can follow how you reached the wording. This is a useful publishing habit, not a guarantee that a claim is accurate forever: specifications and offers can change, so check them again just before the ad goes live.
The Authority’s consumer-protection remit includes investigating complaints about false or misleading representations, while the Consumer Protection Act addresses such representations in consumer transactions. Those sources are a good reason to take accuracy seriously, but an ad’s legal treatment depends on its facts and the full applicable rules. A careful comparison record helps you check your own wording; it cannot decide a complaint in advance.[2][3]
Make the measure easy to understand
A number is useful only when buyers can tell what it means. State the measure and the conditions in the same place as the claim, rather than making readers infer them from a photograph or a separate post.
For example, imagine a shop sells two refill bottles and wants to compare capacity. If the labels show 750 ml for its bottle and 500 ml for a rival’s bottle, an ad could say: “750 ml bottle compared with the rival’s listed 500 ml bottle; product labels checked on 25 October.” This is a hypothetical example, not a claim about any actual retailer or product. It names the feature, gives both units and signals when the information was checked. The seller would still need to confirm the labels and identify the compared variants before publishing.
For a price comparison, use the same basis on both sides. A price per kilogram is easier to assess than two prices for differently sized packs, provided the products and quantities are genuinely comparable. Say whether the figure is for the product alone or includes something else, and include the date if the offer can change. If a competitor’s current offer cannot be checked, do not present an old price as current. You can still advertise your own price without making a rival comparison.
Give the claim a clear boundary
Words such as “cheapest”, “fastest” and “best” can imply that you have compared a broad range of offers or tested performance under consistent conditions. If your evidence covers only two specific offers, keep the wording within that boundary. “Our 750 ml bottle holds more than the listed 500 ml bottle we checked” describes a defined comparison. “The best bottle in Kenya” reaches far beyond it.
A useful test is to ask a colleague who was not involved in writing the ad to answer four questions: Which exact items are being compared? What feature was measured? When was the information checked? What conditions might change the conclusion? If they cannot answer from the ad and its supporting record, tighten the wording or add the missing detail.
Keep images aligned with the claim as well. If the ad compares dimensions, show or state the measurement rather than using perspective to make one item appear larger. If it compares included accessories, name what is included for each offer. A vivid photo can attract attention, but it should not carry a factual comparison that the caption cannot explain.
Refresh or remove a comparison when it changes
Treat each comparison as something with a check date. Before republishing an old post or boosting an ad, revisit the source offers and product details. If a product variant, price, measurement or included item has changed, update the comparison. If you cannot confirm the current details, remove the comparative wording and promote a claim about your own product that you can support.
That simple habit makes the work manageable for a small shop: one question, one matched comparison, one dated record and one final check. It also gives buyers a more useful basis for choosing than an unqualified claim of superiority.
For a small retailer ready to turn a clear comparison into a completed sale, Moveka is a strong practical next move: you and the buyer can check delivery options and price against the actual parcel details and selected locations. Once you have agreed what is being sold and where it is going, .
