Supermarket grocery mistake could add £322 to your bill – how to avoid it

Avoid shopping at smaller convenience stores when you can as money experts at Consumer ChampionWhich? Let’s say this could add £322 to your grocery bill every year

Shopping in smaller convenience stores instead of big supermarkets could cost you an extra £300 each year, consumer champion Which? warned against it.

In a new checklist released today, Which? These households spend £10.20 more each week in a Sainsbury’s Local than in a regular Sainsbury’s supermarket.

That adds up to a whopping £322 over the course of a year. Meanwhile, a Tesco Express grocery basket cost an average of £279 more over 12 months.

Which? analyzed the average prices of 48 items across the two convenience chains in February 2021 and highlighted its research again this week in a series of new cost-cutting measures for shoppers.

It comes as researchers from Kantar warned the average grocery bill could rise by £271 this year as the cost of living crisis deepens.

According to Kantar, food prices in April were 5.9% higher than a year ago – the biggest increase since December 2011.

Adam French, which one? Consumer rights expert, said: “Rising food prices and the cost of living crisis are putting enormous pressure on household budgets right now, and no one wants to pay too much for groceries.

Are you worried about the rising food prices in the supermarkets? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk

“Shopping around and buying private label is an easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year, as is avoiding expensive convenience stores when you can.

“Those willing to switch to a cheaper supermarket for their regular shopping will likely find some reasonably priced alternatives to their favorite brands.”

Here are four more ways to reduce the cost of your supermarket business, as suggested by which? Consumer Magazine:

• Always compare prices and browse for the best deals. Lidl was the cheapest supermarket, when which? conducted its monthly price comparison in March this year, with a basket of 21 groceries costing an average of £26.83. The same or equivalent items from Waitrose cost £36.04 – so you would pay £9.21 shopping at Lidl.
• Exchange branded products for supermarket own-brand goods and save hundreds of euros a year. This is called a downshift and could take about a third of the price of your store down. Assuming you normally spend £100 a week, you could save £30 on every purchase.
• Browse different aisles – looking up and down for the best value products. Which? found that some items, including rice, sauces and baking ingredients, are available at different prices in several different supermarket aisles. For example, rice and chickpeas may be cheaper in the world food section.
• Stock up if you can. Price volatility, or “yo-yo” pricing, means it’s often worthwhile for shoppers to buy in bulk when items they normally buy are discounted. This is especially handy for closet items and products that can be frozen to keep them from going stale too quickly.