Customers who shop at specific Sainsbury’s as well as Tesco stores were given an PS279 charge warning. A lot of people aren’t aware that shopping at specific supermarkets can result in them paying more than they should on their purchases every year.
In a brand new checklist that was published today Which? found that households are spending PS10.20 more per week in the Sainsbury’s Local instead of a typical Sainsbury’s supermarket. It’s an astounding PS322 in the time of the year. In contrast, a basket of food items from Tesco Express cost on average PS279 more for 12 months.
Which? examined the average price of 48 items across the two convenience stores in February 2021. It also repeated its findings this week as part of a set of cost-saving measures that are new for consumers. The news comes as research at Kantar advised that the cost of food for the average person could increase in the region of PS271 this year, as costs of living costs continues to rise.
Kantar reports that grocery prices were 5.9 percent more expensive in April than the same month last year, which is the highest increase since December 2011. Adam French, Which? Consumer Rights Expert, stated: “Rising food prices and the rising cost of living put enormous pressure on budgets of households in the present and nobody would like to pay more for food items.
“Shopping around and purchasing your own brand items is a simple method of saving hundreds of pounds per year. It is also an effective way to avoid costly convenience stores when you are able to. If you are willing to change to a less expensive supermarket to shop at will likely discover some fantastic bargains on the same brands.”
There are other ways to reduce the price of your grocery shopping that were revealed by Which? consumer magazine:
- Always look at prices and shop around to find the lowest prices. Lidl was the most affordable retailer when Which? did its monthly price comparison in March of this year. The basket of 21 grocery items priced at an average PS26.83. The identical items purchased from Waitrose cost PS36.04 which means you’ll save PS9.21 buying at Lidl.
- Switch out branded items with supermarket brand products which can save you hundreds pounds each year. This is called Downshifting and can cut about a third off the cost of your shopping. If you spend PS100 per week, you can save PS30 every when you go shopping.
- Explore different aisles and then look both ways to find the most value-for-money items. Which? discovered that some products like sauces, rice, and baking ingredients are available in different aisles in supermarkets, with various costs. For instance, rice or chickpeas are cheaper in the aisle of world food items.
- Make sure you stock up as soon as you are able to. Prices fluctuation, or “yo-yo” pricing, mean that it’s usually worthwhile to buy bulk at times when the items they normally purchase are marked down. This is especially useful for products and items from the kitchen which can be frozen to ensure that they aren’t out of style in the near future.
