UK supermarket shoppers are being warned over six branded items that should never be purchased at full price, according to consumer watchdog Which?. An analysis of popular branded goods at major supermarkets including Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose has revealed significant discounts available throughout the year.
Items to Watch
Which? examined Special K, orange juice, biscuits, crisps, yoghurt, and Shredded Wheat. The investigation found that Special K was on offer at Ocado for 51 percent of the time, closely followed by Tesco at 50 percent, Waitrose at 48 percent, and Sainsbury’s at 45 percent.
Tropicana Orange Juice (1.5 litres) was discounted to £3.50 or less for 99 percent of the year. Similarly, Fox’s Chocolatey Milk Chocolate Biscuit Rounds were on sale for 99 percent of the year. Shredded Wheat Cereal was sold at a discounted price of £3 or less for 97 percent of the time, and Onken Natural Yogurt was on offer for 99 percent of the year.
Kettle Lightly Salted Crisps were on promotion at £1.65 or less every single day of the year at one of the tracked retailers.
Expert Advice
Reena Sewraz, Which? Retail Editor, advised shoppers to ignore flashy promotions and look closely at unit pricing on the shelf edge—the price per 100 grams or 100 millilitres—to see what they are actually getting for their money. “If you are loyal to a certain branded item, it could be worth tracking prices across multiple stores and stocking up when you see a good deal,” she said.
This warning comes as Asda was named the cheapest supermarket for branded groceries for the second month running, beating both the nation's biggest loyalty schemes. Sewraz added: “Our latest analysis shows Asda beats the UK's biggest loyalty schemes to be the cheapest for branded goods for the second month running. Meanwhile, shoppers without a membership at Tesco or Sainsbury’s are being charged up to 15 percent more than the cheaper option—which can make those shops more expensive than Waitrose.”
“If you're loyal to specific brands, the current market is a bit of a lottery. You could easily end up paying double for the exact same jar of coffee or bag of rice depending on where you shop. While membership cards offer targeted discounts, Asda’s straightforward pricing is proving more reliable for fans of big brands who want to keep their grocery bills under control without the need for a card,” she concluded.
