Most shoppers are doing what they can to keep costs down right now, and that includes cutting back at the supermarket.
But there is a simple way to find the lowest prices that most customers miss; And that is to go to the bottom shelf.
This is something food budget expert Lorna Cooper has previously highlighted; He said shoppers are often too focused on items displayed at eye level or part of a promotion that they fail to find the cheapest items downstairs.
He said followers of the Feed Your Family for around £20 a week Facebook page often ask where he could get something so cheap, and it was because they weren’t looking in the right places.
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This week I decided to apply the “bottom to bottom” rule for a large Tesco store and see at eye level how much savings could be made compared to big brand items.
I was surprised to see so many shelves laid out this way, and it would be easy for many people to miss out on cheaper items, especially those who are in a hurry or are shopping with kids and get distracted.
There’s a difference in quality between some products, of course – and not everyone is so happy buying own-brand or budget items – but with the cost of living crisis still hitting hard, many shoppers are being forced to make different choices, or at least try cheaper items willing.
Some price differences are also huge. For example, a 1kg pack of Tesco’s long grain rice costs £1.25, while the cheaper brand Grower’s Harvest costs just 52p for the same size pack. A pint of Tesco orange or apple juice on the shelf costs £1.25, while the Grower’s Harvest brand, also below, costs 85p.
Big brand curry sauces are screaming at eye level for more than £2 or £1.50 with the Clubcard offer, but cheaper ones are at the bottom for just 99p – and they’re delicious indeed.
The same story was true for soup; Heinz boxes were £2 each, 3 for £4, but Tesco’s were £1.10 on the bottom shelf.
The ‘low shelf, low price’ rule seems to apply mostly to cans and cabinets, but it was also the case with some refrigerators.
At eye level is a pack of eight Richmond sausages for £2.60, with Tesco’s £1.79 version further down; Mature cheddar for £3 for 400g, with blocks of cheaper Creamfields on the bottom shelf at £2.49; and cheaper Willow Farms chicken breast, £6.49 per kg, which is the same price as bottom shelf Aldi.
It’s worth looking elsewhere though, as there was a Clubcard offer for top shelf chicken breasts, which was even cheaper at £5.79 per kg.
While loaves are often messy, the ‘downward’ rule has worked for other ‘bakery’ products, such as Tesco’s eight-pack of tortillas for £1.20; in contrast, a six-pack of Mission Deli branded packs sold for £1.60. And Tesco’s eight-pack of chocolate muffin rolls sells for £1.60 on the bottom shelf, while a six-pack of Pitch rolls sells for £1.75.
It was clear on the eggs where shoppers could find the cheapest boxes, as the entire bottom shelf of a 15-pack of mixed weight eggs, sold for £1.99, was empty.
Freezers, on the other hand, often featured branded and unbranded side by side, although it was easy to be distracted by Clubcard offers such as McCain Skin on Fries, £3 for 800g, with a 900g bag next to it. Tesco’s for £2.50.
Similarly, with a £4 Clubcard offer for 38 Birds Eye chicken scoops (50% chicken breast), Tesco’s pack (53% chicken) contains 44 scoops and costs £3.45.
The swaps I made meant a total saving of over £20, so it’s not a small change.
Sharing her advice, budget expert Lorna said: “I know I’ve talked about supermarket psychology before but I wanted to mention it again. Often when I put the prices of the items I buy here people immediately ask ‘where do you buy this? Can’t we get it cheap?’
“This is my local Tesco, it’s quite small but the cheaper ranges are still available. But they’re out of eye level. They’re tucked away down the shelf unless you’re specifically looking for them. Watch out for them. Check the whole shelf!”
When we contacted Tesco for information on cheaper bottom shelf products, a spokesperson said: “We offer a wide range of products in our stores, with a range of branded and own-brand products to suit our customers’ needs. “With Aldi Price Matching, Low Everyday Prices and Clubcard Prices, shoppers can be sure to get great value at Tesco no matter how they decide to shop.”
Bottom shelf wins (Tesco or main brand product/budget bottom shelf/savings)
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McVitie’s Jaffa Cake 220g £2 / Tesco Jaffa Cake 282g £1.35 / 65p
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Tesco shelf orange or apple juice £1.25 / Grower’s Harvest shelf orange or apple juice 85p / 40p
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Tesco fridge orange juice £2 / Grower’s Harvest fridge orange juice £1.19 / 81p
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Tesco fridge cider £2 / Grower’s Harvest fridge cider 99p / £1.01
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Cadbury Brunch bars £1.35 / Tesco Raisin Munch Bars £1.15 / 20p
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Heinz Beans and Sausages £2 / Tesco Beans and Sausages 56p / £1.44
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Heinz Ravioli £2 / Tesco Beef Ravioli £1 / £1
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Heinz Chunky Soup £2 / Tesco Chunky Soup £1.10 / 90p
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Tesco Tuna Piece 72p / Stockwell Tuna Piece 55p / 17p
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Ambrosia Custard £1.60 / Tesco Custard £1 / 60p
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KP Dry Roasted Peanuts 250g £3.25 / Tesco Dry Roasted Peanuts 200g £1.20 / £2.05
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McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives 266g £1.30 Clubcard / Miss Molly’s Chocolate Digestives 300g 65p / 65p
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Tesco Long Grain Rice £1.25 / Grower’s Harvest Long Grain Rice 52p / 73p
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Patak’s Naans £1.50 Clubcard / Tesco Naans 80p / 70p
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Patak’s curry sauce £1.50 Clubcard / Tesco curry sauce 99p / 51p
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Hellman’s Light Mayonnaise 430ml £2 Clubcard / Tesco Light Mayonnaise 450ml 86p / £1.14
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Sarsons Malt Vinegar 250ml £1.15 / Tesco Malt Vinegar 568ml 35p / 80p
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Richmond sausages £2.60 / Tesco sausages £1.79 / 81p
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Mature Cheddar £3 / Creamfields Mature Cheddar £2.49 / 51p
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Country Life Salted Butter £2.75 / Tesco Salted Butter £1.79 / 96p
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Sun-Pat Peanut Butter 300g £2.25 Clubcard / Tesco Peanut Butter 340g £1.09 / £1.16
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Mission Deli Tortilla Wraps six-pack £1.60 / Tesco eight-pack £1.20 / 40p
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Pitch Brioche Rolls six-pack £1.75 / Tesco’s eight-pack chocolate brioche rolls £1.60 / 15p
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St Pierre Brioche Burger Buns £2.50 / Tesco Brioche Burger Buns 99p / £1.51
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Fairy Dish Liquid 320ml £1 / Tesco Dish Liquid 500ml 69p / 31p
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Doritos 180g £1.75 Clubcard / Tesco Tortilla Chips 200g £1.10 / 65p
Total bottom shelf savings = £20.22