We’re supermarket shoppers, our easy trick to discover what product is best value & it’s not always the cheaper item
IF you were to spot two seemingly similar items on the supermarket shelves where one is slightly cheaper, it would seem natural to put the one that cost less straight into your basket.
But did you know you could actually be getting worse value for your money by simply relying on price alone?
As part of the opening episode of Channel 5 series Secrets of Your Supermarket Food, which starts tonight on Channel 5, hosts Alexis Conran and Angellica Bell give viewers tips on how to make the most of their cash.
In one section of the programme, Angellica, who herself is a supermarket shopper, tells viewers a handy tip the programme has taught her that has changed the game when it comes to the weekly shop.
Angellica says: “Finding a bargain in the supermarket can be a minefield. We’re bamboozled with multi-buys, discounts and special offers, and it’s hard to know the best way through it all.
“Recent research by consumer group Which? found that some supermarkets were still using misleading discounts that weren’t the bargains they claimed to be.
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“But help is at hand and it’s all about the small print.”
The presenter then went on to share how the trick is to look at exactly what you are getting for your money before you take the discount at face value.
As Angellica was seen standing in front of two packets of toilet roll – one from Tesco and one from more expensive brand Andrew, she continues: “Let’s look at toilet roll, for example.
“I’ve got Andrex here, this costs £2.95, and then Tesco Luxury Soft Coconut Oil, which is £2.
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“So on the face of it, it looks like the Tesco toilet roll is the best value.
However, Angellica then asks if there is a slight catch, as she and the Secrets of Your Supermarket Food team look into exactly what they have purchased.
She explains: “We need to take a closer look, we need to check how much it costs per sheet.
“The Andrex is 46.1 pence per 100 sheets and the Tesco one is 50p per 100 sheets, which means you’re getting 240 extra sheets in the Andrex packet.”
The same could be said for other products, including flour and other supermarket staples.
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Angellica concludes that “most of us are in a rush when we shop” and make quick decisions at a glance – but we should pay careful attention.
She says: “So it pays to check the price per volume, per weight, or per sheet in the case of toilet paper before you buy.”
