Food prices

[Baxenden Bank]

I've tried various supermarket alternatives to Lurpak and they're all fairly poor except Nordpak (Aldi), which I found to be acceptable. I tried the Asda own-brand equivalent and it wasn't nice.

I've been buying Anchor spreadable for around £2.50 lately, but I've just checked the Asda website and it's gone up to £4.50.

Anchor Spreadable is another yo-yo product. Tesco has had it at either £4.00 or £2.75 for a good while, prior to that it was £2.50 on offer. I looked the other day and the offer was much less generous at £3.60. All for the 500g pack. Morrisons tends to be the same pattern.

I haven't paid full price for years: buy when low, use when high. The date is a 'best before' rather than 'use by' and the offer comes round frequently enough to have enough stock within date and bought at the offer price in the fridge. Freezable too but I never have.

 

[malc-c]

Just done the weeks shopping in ASDA... Sharwoods Sweet and sour cook in sauce, normally £1.25, this week £1.55. Grated cheese, ASDA's own brand, £2.00 last week, £2.50 this..... Mind you there were things on Roll back. Bisto Hot Pot ready meals, Normally £1.40, down to £1.00, so I guess its swings and roundabouts depending on your needs and tastes. We also opted for some of ASDAs new budget basics range - 8 Sausage Roll for 88p - They taste no different to their normal range.

There were also quite a few shelves totally empty. Not sure if its a supply issue, or that people are changing their shopping habits and bulk buying the cheaper alternatives.

 

[Gloster]

At Poundland 6 small pots of Ambrosia Rice Pudding were £2.50. The last time I bought any, which was some months back as I only keep them as a standby, I am pretty sure they were £2.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Negativity!

Tesco Sparkling Flavoured Water 1L was 55p now 50p. The non-sparkling variety has increased from 55p to 60p though.

 

[Mojo]

I’ve noticed that, what I call Good Quality Bread (Extra thick, soft white toastie- supermarket own brand, never buy branded as isn’t very good and or doesn’t fit in the toaster despite being called Toastie *cough* Warburtons I’m looking at you), has gone up from 55p at the start of the year, and now costs 70p. It was only a few weeks ago it was increased from 60p to 65p!

 

[malc-c]

I’ve noticed that, what I call Good Quality Bread (Extra thick, soft white toastie- supermarket own brand, never buy branded as isn’t very good and or doesn’t fit in the toaster despite being called Toastie *cough* Warburtons I’m looking at you), has gone up from 55p at the start of the year, and now costs 70p. It was only a few weeks ago it was increased from 60p to 65p!

Yeah, we noticed that. Overall what is shocking us is not so much that prices are going up, that's expected, but more so by how much things have jumped. It's not the odd penny or two, its 10p, 20p or 30p a time.

 

[takno]

Yeah, we noticed that. Overall what is shocking us is not so much that prices are going up, that's expected, but more so by how much things have jumped. It's not the odd penny or two, its 10p, 20p or 30p a time.

It's interesting. The supermarkets have spent such a lot of effort on "price locks" and "price matches" for specific prices over the years, that they get down to very low levels of profitability on certain lines. That's been something that's generally allowed to play out over years, because a background level of 1-3% inflation can be swallowed for a long time. Once the item becomes unprofitable though, you would expect them to put it up to cover only the few pence of the most recent cost increase. Realistically though they are bound to put it up by a bit more to catch up to historical levels of profitability, and probably by another few % so they don't end up in the same position in 6 months.

Of course it doesn't help that some of the costs faced by food producers are well above the current inflation rate, often more like 15-20%, caused by a combination of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Brexit, post-Covid Debt Financing and the post-Covid labour shortage.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I’ve noticed that, what I call Good Quality Bread (Extra thick, soft white toastie- supermarket own brand, never buy branded as isn’t very good and or doesn’t fit in the toaster despite being called Toastie *cough* Warburtons I’m looking at you), has gone up from 55p at the start of the year, and now costs 70p. It was only a few weeks ago it was increased from 60p to 65p!

Hello, is that the complaints department?
Yes, I wish to register a complaint.

Warburtons bread is the proper size, other (inferior) brands are wrong, the makers of toasters are wrong. In a similar vein Salt 'n' Vinegar crisps packets really ought to be blue and Cheese & Onion green - that upstart Walkers ought to give themselves a good talking to, multi-national corporations forcing their styles upon us etc.

I do know someone who, many years ago, returned a toaster to a shop, taking a slice of Warbies with him (wrapped in clingfilm) to prove the point. Needless to say the manufacturers continue to produce their deficient products. There ought to be a European Standard.

Two solutions to the Warburtons situation:

• Buy a four-slice toaster - one with two long slots rather than four little slots or,
• Buy a Breville 'Warburtons Toaster', were available from Argos last year for £29.99. Sometimes you still have to cut a crust off though. Wish I had gone for a four-slicer to be honest.

 

[Mojo]

Hello, is that the complaints department?
Yes, I wish to register a complaint.

Warburtons bread is the proper size, other (inferior) brands are wrong, the makers of toasters are wrong.

In addition to being a peculiar size, Warburton's bread also has a very peculiar hard crust, as well as being packaged in a non-standard wrapper making it hard to keep fresh. Isn't very nice at all, don't understand the obsession with it.

 

[birchesgreen]

In addition to being a peculiar size, Warburton's bread also has a very peculiar hard crust, as well as being packaged in a non-standard wrapper making it hard to keep fresh. Isn't very nice at all, don't understand the obsession with it.

Because sufficient people, myself included, think it is nice perhaps?

 

[david1212]

Yeah, we noticed that. Overall what is shocking us is not so much that prices are going up, that's expected, but more so by how much things have jumped. It's not the odd penny or two, its 10p, 20p or 30p a time.

Indeed just 4 examples this week compared to earlier this year -
49p > 59p, 79p > 99p, 85p > £1.05, £1.69 increased in a step or two to £2.09.
My point is not ~10% but each ~ 20%.

 

[Gloster]

My local Tesco Express has bananas at 27p each. I don’t go in there very often now that I have moved, but it wasn’t that long since they were 20p or less. Even the shelf that appears in one of the photos on their home page says 25p.

 

[TravelDream]

Definitely noticed that food has gone up a lot.
I try to keep my weekly shop below £80, but it's becoming increasingly difficult.
It's the little things as well as more expensive items like meat.

I was checking a receipt from May earlier in the week. Typical cheap salad staples have surged in price. The raw numbers aren't too bad, but the percentage increases are huge.
Tesco spring onions have gone from 37p (which they had cost for a long time) to 49p - a 32% increase.
Tesco cucumbers have gone from 43p (which they had cost for a long time) to 55p - a 28% increase.
Tesco peppers have gone from 89p (which they had cost for a long time) to £1.16 - a 21% increase.

I'm talking about Elmlea...

Saying that Elmlea is cream is like saying dog s**t is chocolate.

 

[jon0844]

Plus the new M&S.

The food hall seems popular, but the rest of the store was very empty (TBH, it was empty in WGC most of the time too). I wonder how long M&S can make a go of it there? A lot of building to light, heat and staff for a food hall!

M&S do some reasonably priced food, but a lot of premium stuff that appears to be priced purely so people can show off that they can afford M&S food.. such as dinner parties, birthdays, barbecues etc.

For fathers day, they were doing fruit and nut chocolate bars that were £5 and on the Sunday afternoon, there were loads unsold and they were marked down to £4 (still a crazy price for what I think was a little over 100-120g of chocolate). I wonder if M&S is going to have to realise that even their customers have a limit and won't just pay a premium for the sake of it being 'not just any old store'.

 

[birchesgreen]

Saying that Elmlea is cream is like saying dog s**t is chocolate.

Maybe (not buying it for myself anyway) but that doesn't really change the fact about the near doubling in price in about 8 months.

 

[Typhoon]

Negativity!

Tesco Sparkling Flavoured Water 1L was 55p now 50p. The non-sparkling variety has increased from 55p to 60p though.

I noticed that! Just about everyone else charges the same. When I have time, I will try and work out which key ingredient has gone up in price!

 

[takno]

I noticed that! Just about everyone else charges the same. When I have time, I will try and work out which key ingredient has gone up in price!

A reminder from last year that CO2 prices have gone through the roof, and are strongly driven by natural gas prices: https://www.cips.org/supply-management/news/2021/september/co2-prices-to-rocket-five-fold/

 

[Typhoon]

A reminder from last year that CO2 prices have gone through the roof, and are strongly driven by natural gas prices: https://www.cips.org/supply-management/news/2021/september/co2-prices-to-rocket-five-fold/

Point taken but why would sparkling water go down in price but still water go up? If anything, I would have thought sparkling should be more expensive.

 

[Gloster]

According to a tweet (I think) pictured on The London Economic, ASDA are putting security tags on 750 g. tubs of Lurpak Spreadable (£6 - Save 75p.). 1 kg. tubs are £9.35. (Not sure where these prices are and they probably aren’t in the same supermarket (the second may not be ASDA)).

 

[kristiang85]

I knew the Lurpak prices would be the straw that breaks the camel's back for many

After trying the Morrissons variety, which was horrible, I've gone back to Lurpak, but spread a lot more thinly than I used to. I guess its healthier at least.

 

[takno]

I knew the Lurpak prices would be the straw that breaks the camel's back for many

After trying the Morrissons variety, which was horrible, I've gone back to Lurpak, but spread a lot more thinly than I used to. I guess its healthier at least.

I'm switching randomly between the Sainsburys own one and President stuff which is stunningly expensive. On balance I think I slightly prefer the Sainsburys one.

 

[david1212]

I have noticed now 10 Cadburys Chocolate Rolls are at least £2 as an offer e.g. Tesco Clubcard.

Also in Tesco some of their ' other own name ' products e.g. Ms Molly, Neville's, Woodside Farms are disappearing with the nearest Tesco significantly more expensive.

 

[mac]

Buying chocolate a pack of 4 ripple bars is now 3 and M&Ms have reduced 43 grams per pack both at Tesco

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Buying chocolate a pack of 4 ripple bars is now 3 and M&Ms have reduced 43 grams per pack both at Tesco

If the prices are still the same but you're getting reduced content, that's effectively more examples of 'shrinkflation', which we had a thread on, about a year ago.

Shrinkflation - examples?

"Shrinkflation" is the business practice where pack sizes of items (often food items) shrink in size or quantity, yet the selling price remains the same, or even increases! An example: Packs of McVities (Jaffa Cakes) Cake Bars came, until recently, in packs of eight and were being sold for £1...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[GatwickDepress]

Put out new shelf edge labels for bakery items in Sainsbury's the other day. Every product up by 5 or 10 pence.

 

[Busaholic]

I have noticed now 10 Cadburys Chocolate Rolls are at least £2 as an offer e.g. Tesco Clubcard.

Also in Tesco some of their ' other own name ' products e.g. Ms Molly, Neville's, Woodside Farms are disappearing with the nearest Tesco significantly more expensive.

I shop in Tesco quite a lot, especially since the advent of the Clubcard special offers, and am pretty price savvy. I went there yesterday and noticed this week's clubcard offers, other than on fresh fruit and veg, are both fewer in number and not nearly so tempting value wise. For instance, with wine and excepting the 'offer' on Gordon Ramsay branded wine, which is a rip-off in the first place, virtually none of the reductions exceeded £1 on sub-£10 bottles, as against £1.50 - £2.50 previously. This was especially galling as I was expecting to find 25% off six bottles, but the offer which had been advertised at the beginning of the week apparently lasted a whole two days. I exited with just the one bottle and very little shopping other than aforementioned fruit and veg. My nearest Aldi is 25 miles away too!

 

[Baxenden Bank]

How much?

£1.40 for a tin of Heinz soup in Tesco, now that their price disagreement is settled. Was £3.00 for four tins or £5.00 for eight until recently. I think they were £0.95 per tin, not sure as I always bought four.

HOW MUCH !!!!!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

How much?

£1.40 for a tin of Heinz soup in Tesco, now that their price disagreement is settled. Was £3.00 for four tins or £5.00 for eight until recently. I think they were £0.95 per tin, not sure as I always bought four.

If you're talking about the 400g size tins, then yes, were 95p, now £1.40, seemingly in line with most other supermarkets. Multi-buy offers are still available if you shop around, believe that at the Co-op you can still get 4 × 400g size tin multi-packs of Heinz soup for £3.00.

 

[Ediswan]

If you're talking about the 400g size tins, then yes, were 95p, now £1.40, seemingly in line with most other supermarkets.

Something I heard on R4 a few days ago suggested a lot of that increase is due to the canneries charging much higher prices, not all down to the cost of ingredients.

 

[jon0844]

While there are clearly increased costs throughout the food industry, these huge conglomerates are almost certainly seeing their chance to profit. Just like BP, Shell and others are enjoying record quarters while we all pay more for fuel and energy.

Tesco is big, but Kraft Heinz is bigger.