Waitrose can be cheaper for shoppers than Tesco or Sainsbury’s, research reveals
Tesco and Sainsbury’s customers may pay more for groceries than customers at Waitrose, new research has revealed.
According to what analysis, non-users of loyalty plans at two stores may be looking at higher prices for co-branded foods? He found it.
The consumer champion compared 245 branded products, including popular products from Heinz, Nescafe and Mr Kipling, in February to reveal its findings.
Non-Nectar members of Sainsbury’s paid £942.66 for the basket; This is 14 per cent more than the cheapest retailer in the study, Asda, where the same items cost £823.58. Tesco’s non-Clubcard price was £916.56, 11 per cent higher than Asda.
Waitrose has unsurprisingly emerged as the “more competitive option” for these branded products; The basket was priced at £899.05, just 9 per cent higher than Asda.
The results may surprise shoppers; Waitrose is consistently ranked as one of the UK’s most expensive supermarkets in comparisons.
While many shoppers have joined a supermarket membership plan, which one? He said some may not want to sign up for loyalty cards for reasons such as data privacy, while others have no choice due to eligibility criteria.
Tesco customers under the age of 18 cannot sign up for Clubcard, although the supermarket has announced it will review this before the end of the year.
Which? She found a few cheaper items in Waitrose; these included Amoy Straight To Wok Noodles; these items cost an average of £1.25 at both Waitrose and Morrisons, while without a loyalty card they were most expensive at an average of £2.15 at Sainsbury’s and Tesco – a difference of 72 per cent.
Sea salt and vinegar Ryvita Thins were also the cheapest product at Waitrose, costing £1.25 on average, but customers buying it from Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury’s without a loyalty card will all have paid an average of £2.30, making them 84 per cent more expensive.
Which one for customers with Clubcard? It found that the same list of groceries at Tesco cost £837.43 on average, making it just 2 per cent more expensive than Asda.
Which? Retail editor Reena Sewraz said: “Our analysis reveals a shocking truth and shows the impact of loyalty schemes on grocery prices.
“For customers who don’t use a link card, branded favorites can actually be cheaper at Waitrose than the UK’s biggest supermarkets, something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
“The best thing to do if you’ve decided on specific brands is to shop around, keep a close eye on unit price and stock up when you see a good sale; otherwise, you’ll probably end up paying a steep price.
“Although loyalty cards can certainly offer some savings, if you don’t use a card you’re better off heading to Asda where prices are often cheaper on a range of branded items.”
A Sainsbury’s spokesman said: “We have invested over £1bn in recent years to help keep prices low and we know more customers are choosing to do their shopping at Sainsbury’s.
“We are committed to helping our customers access great quality at lower prices and continuing to focus on delivering exceptional value across thousands of products through our Aldi price match program, Nectar prices, Your Nectar Price and own brand value lines.”
A spokesperson for Tesco said: “It’s no secret that the Tesco Clubcard unlocks extraordinary savings for 24 million UK households.
“More than 80 percent of our sales are made with Clubcard, but this is just one of the ways our customers get great value.
“Through everyday low prices, we consistently keep prices low on thousands of brand-name items, and our Aldi price matching ensures shoppers can rest assured they’re getting competitive prices.”
