It’s well known that some supermarkets charge more money for items when inside – but one store was seen to be charging almost double the price on some products shoppers are buying
If there is one thing we have in common as Brits, it’s that we love to get the best value for money and an absolute bargain. While some people simply buy what they need from a supermarket that’s nearby, others have stick rigidly to a tight budget and are constantly looking for the best value for money.
Whether you pay attention to the prices or not, it’s clear they differ from each supermarket – but you might be surprised by just how much more some places are charging. One person decided to buy the same seven products from seven different stores, ASDA, Iceland, Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Waitrose and Co-op, to see how to prices varied.
They bought Cathedral City Mature Cheddar, Nescafe Gold Blend 190g, Lurpak Spreadable 250g, Coca-Cola Zero 2L, Warburtons Half & Half 800g, Persil Non Bio 35 washes, and Heinz Baked Beanz BBQ 290g.
The experiment showed that shoppers could be paying nearly double for some items depending on what supermarket they shop at.
For example, ASDA shoppers will only pay £2.50 for Cathedral City Mature Cheddar cheese, where as people spending money at Co-op will need to fork out £4.65 for the same item.
Coffee lovers will pay £5.75 for Nescafe Gold Blend 190g, while the same product costs a huge £9.85 in Waitrose, more than 70% more.
The difference between the price of Lurpak butter between Iceland and Ocado, and Waitrose is £1.35, while the difference between the price of Coca-Cola Zero between Iceland and Co-op is around £1.
ASDA and Iceland were consistently the cheapest for the branded products. with Co-op and Waitrose being the most expensive — sometimes nearly double.
If shoppers are buying all seven of the items at Co-op rather than shopping around, they could be spending roughly £8-10 more for the same items.
Shoppers took to the comments to discuss their thoughts on the price difference, with many coming to the defence of Waitrose.
One person said: “Waitrose is actually pretty good for things in their “Waitrose Essentials” range, because unlike the budget ranges in other supermarkets, Waitrose’s have to meet the same animal welfare and sourcing standards as their normal products do, and often taste better than other supermarket’s luxury ranges while being cheaper.
“They also pay their staff better than ASDA or Iceland (though Lidl and Aldi pay the best wages).”
A second said: “I think this post is a tad disingenuous. Frugal shoppers, going into a supermarket will look at the offers on the shelf, not just buy one brand of something. Comparing Persil with Lenor etc Equally, as other people have said, a lot of frugal shoppers are buying own brand.”
A third said: “This is a really interesting comparison – makes sense that the branded stuff is upcharged, but I find that the upmarket own-brands compete with the brands, so it’s not that direct of a comparison..”
A fourth said: “Co-op price match Aldi on staples- milk, eggs, chicken, lemonade, Warburtons bread etc. You have to join which costs £1.
