0:00:02 > 0:00:04There's a lot we don't know about the food on our plates,
0:00:04 > 0:00:08and the shops and the labels don't always tell you the whole story.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Sometimes, there's just too many offers, and when you actually
0:00:11 > 0:00:14really look at them, you're not really saving that much.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Whether you're staying in or going out, you've told us you can
0:00:17 > 0:00:20feel ripped off by the promises made for what you eat
0:00:20 > 0:00:22and what you pay for it.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26If you buy six, it's cheaper.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29But I don't want to buy six, I want to buy one.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32From claims that don't stack up
0:00:32 > 0:00:34to the secrets behind the packaging,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37we'll uncover the truth about Britain's food so that
0:00:37 > 0:00:41you can be sure you're getting what you expect at the right price.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Your food, your money. This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:51 > 0:00:52Hello, and welcome to Rip-Off Britain
0:00:52 > 0:00:55where, as usual, we're all about making sure that,
0:00:55 > 0:00:57whatever you're spending your money on,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00and indeed wherever you're doing it, you are getting the deal that
0:01:00 > 0:01:04you expected at the price you were expecting.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07And today, we're going to be focusing in particular on those
0:01:07 > 0:01:10stores that, I think these days, most of us simply cannot manage without -
0:01:10 > 0:01:12supermarkets.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Yes, whether we're actually scouring their shelves for the best
0:01:15 > 0:01:17bargains or doing our shopping online,
0:01:17 > 0:01:19the big name supermarkets between them still
0:01:19 > 0:01:23account for a whopping chunk of our total annual spending on food.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26And, of course, each of them is constantly battling to
0:01:26 > 0:01:30convince us that it is the one which will make our money go furthest.
0:01:30 > 0:01:31So, we're going to be revealing
0:01:31 > 0:01:34some of the tricks of the trade to see just how they do that.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35And along the way, of course,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38we'll be getting to the bottom of some of the particular
0:01:38 > 0:01:41questions and concerns that you've asked us to investigate
0:01:41 > 0:01:44after perhaps your own supermarket shopping didn't quite turn
0:01:44 > 0:01:46out the way you'd expected.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48So, as we give you the lowdown on how to spot a great
0:01:48 > 0:01:51deal from a dud one, we'll have some fantastic tips
0:01:51 > 0:01:55and advice to help you get the most from the stores that continue
0:01:55 > 0:01:58to play such a fundamental role in our daily lives.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Coming up - the cost of online shopping.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07Are new charges pricing out those who need the service most?
0:02:07 > 0:02:09I was angry, not just for myself.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14There are a lot of people out there who are less fit than me,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17older than me, who it will hit more.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21And how to save a packet on your weekly shop -
0:02:21 > 0:02:25this coupon queen shares her secrets for slashing what you spend.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29When I go out and find a great deal, I actually get a little excited.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31I start to think, "How many can I get for free?
0:02:31 > 0:02:33"What if I combine it with this?"
0:02:33 > 0:02:36And all these thoughts start whizzing through my head.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Special offers and promotions have traditionally been
0:02:43 > 0:02:46one of the ways that supermarkets tempt us through their doors,
0:02:46 > 0:02:51but anyone who regularly checks the deals available will probably have
0:02:51 > 0:02:53noticed how often the same products
0:02:53 > 0:02:56and brands pop up at that apparently reduced price.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58And that begs the question -
0:02:58 > 0:03:01when is an offer no longer quite so special, and
0:03:01 > 0:03:05when is it in fact just the price that you should regularly be paying?
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Buy one get one free, two for the price of one,
0:03:12 > 0:03:14buy two get a third half price.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Supermarkets have been using special offers to compete for our
0:03:17 > 0:03:22business, tempting us with deals that seem certain to save us money.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26But some of them, and especially the buy one get one frees we've
0:03:26 > 0:03:29come to know as BOGOFs, are coming under increasing scrutiny.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33So, are we always getting the bargain we think we are?
0:03:33 > 0:03:35I think if you've got a big family, a multibuy is a good idea,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39especially if you're buying loads of cereals or something.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43Probably it would be a good idea for families, consumer families,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45because they want to buy quantities.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48I always do the maths first
0:03:48 > 0:03:52cos not all buy one get one frees are actually get one free.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54But, as the number of BOGOFs has soared,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58so too have concerns over whether they really save us money at all.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Last year, the consumer group Which?
0:04:00 > 0:04:03launched what's called a super-complaint against the big
0:04:03 > 0:04:06four supermarkets, claiming shoppers had been duped out
0:04:06 > 0:04:10of hundreds of millions of pounds through misleading pricing tactics.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14They demanded an investigation into what they described as "dodgy
0:04:14 > 0:04:18"multibuys, shrinking products and baffling sales offers".
0:04:18 > 0:04:20And those are all concerns echoed by Andy Webb
0:04:20 > 0:04:23from the government-funded Money Advice Service.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26He says BOGOFs and other deals seduce shoppers into buying
0:04:26 > 0:04:28food they don't need.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31We found that 75% of us, that's three quarters of us,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34when we go to the supermarket, we're spending more
0:04:34 > 0:04:37because we've seen this deal that we feel we have to buy.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40And it works out around 21%, when you get to the checkout,
0:04:40 > 0:04:44that's been added to the bill, about £11 or £12 per shop.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Now, we go to the supermarket roughly twice a week,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50the research found so, in a year, that could be over £1,200,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52which is a ridiculous amount of money that we're
0:04:52 > 0:04:55spending on things we hadn't intended to buy when we went in.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59What's more, the Money Advice Service reckons the reason we
0:04:59 > 0:05:03so eagerly snap up all those BOGOFs is because it's not
0:05:03 > 0:05:06easy to understand whether they offer genuine value for money.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10So we took four everyday products
0:05:10 > 0:05:14and four different examples of how the offers are presented
0:05:14 > 0:05:16and asked people to pick the one which they thought was
0:05:16 > 0:05:18the best value
0:05:18 > 0:05:22and, out of everyone who answered that, only one in 50 -
0:05:22 > 0:05:25that's 2% - were able to get all four correct, which just shows how
0:05:25 > 0:05:29complicated some of the wording can be in the supermarket.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34We wanted to see for ourselves how confusing these supermarket
0:05:34 > 0:05:35offers might be,
0:05:35 > 0:05:40so we asked Andy to repeat his test on the streets of Manchester.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43So we've got these four everyday kind of products you
0:05:43 > 0:05:44buy in the supermarket...
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Andy's seeing if passing shoppers can work out which of several
0:05:47 > 0:05:51different offers is really the best deal. So, thinking caps on.
0:05:51 > 0:05:56Chances are, you might not instantly get it right, either.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58First off, he's got a choice of prices for eggs.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18So, which deal would you go for?
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Well, if your maths skills are a bit rusty, it's the last one.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26This time, the BOGOF was the best value.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29But let's see if our shoppers can work it out.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Oh, gosh. One second. Erm...
0:06:33 > 0:06:37That's probably the best one. Ten medium eggs on offer for £1.50.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39- It's actually the bottom one. - Is it? Impossible!
0:06:39 > 0:06:45- So that's... 20 for £2.20. That one, I think.- Yep, bang on, that's right.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50- That's the best option there, if you need 20 eggs.- Which I wouldn't.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54Ten for £1.50. Two packs of six, so 12 for £2...
0:06:54 > 0:06:59- Buy one get one free on ten for £2.20...- So 20 for £2.20.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02- Yeah, it's that one, isn't it? - That's right. Well done.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05- I'd say the bottom one.- Yeah, it is the bottom one.- Is it? Oh, good.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07But that's a lot of eggs, it's 20 eggs for that last option,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10but it works out cheaper if you need that many eggs.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Next up is lemons. Which of these represents the best deal?
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Remember, these are exactly the sort of calculations we make
0:07:38 > 0:07:41whenever we go shopping, and they're not easy.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Once again, it's the last answer that's the right one,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47but it takes a bit of time to get there.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51- Next up we've got 500g of lemons. - Oh, God.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53I buy them one at a time.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57Yes, you do, don't you? I think it's that one, but my mind's going.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59It's difficult when we put you on the spot.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01- It's actually the last one. - Is it, yeah?
0:08:01 > 0:08:04That one's slightly cheaper, but again, it's a lot of lemons, isn't it?
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Which represents the best deal?
0:08:06 > 0:08:13One pack of 500g costs £1.20, buy one and get one half price on 250...
0:08:13 > 0:08:16It's ridiculous. Erm...
0:08:16 > 0:08:19- £1.10 for 500, that's probably the cheapest one, is it?- Yeah, it is.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22- You're good at this. - I'm an accountant, so there you go.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24- There we go, so your reputation's on the line now.- Yeah.
0:08:24 > 0:08:29- That one, I think.- No, £1.05 for... Oh, wait.- Yeah, for half. What?
0:08:29 > 0:08:35No, wait. Buy one get one half price on 250, so for 500g, it's £1.05,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39- so it's that one. - Yeah, you're right.- No!
0:08:40 > 0:08:43- You're meant to be the clever one. - Well done.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45So, it's quite clear that, when faced with
0:08:45 > 0:08:48a multitude of multipack deals, most people were totally baffled.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52So, of the ten people we spoke to, only one of them got all
0:08:52 > 0:08:55the answers correct, and that was with the help of a calculator.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58I think that just goes to show that some of the wording is really
0:08:58 > 0:09:01complicated, it is difficult to try and find the best value
0:09:01 > 0:09:04when you're faced with so many different options.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07After carrying out an investigation into supermarket offers,
0:09:07 > 0:09:11the Competition and Markets Authority issued recommendations
0:09:11 > 0:09:14that stores should provide greater clarity over their prices.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17And, since then, most of the big names have started moving
0:09:17 > 0:09:20away from the traditional buy one get one free deals.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Sainsbury's have stopped doing multi-buy offers altogether.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28It said such deals are out of step with modern shoppers
0:09:28 > 0:09:32whose priorities are now cutting waste and eating more healthily.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Other stores too have now said they're
0:09:34 > 0:09:39concentrating on everyday low prices, rather than promotions.
0:09:39 > 0:09:40But the British Retail Consortium,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44which speaks for the industry as a whole, pointed out that...
0:09:49 > 0:09:53..and that, while the Competition and Markets Authority had found a limited
0:09:53 > 0:09:56number of potentially confusing pricing practices,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00these problems are not systemic across the retail industry.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04But, if the idea of doing all those sums
0:10:04 > 0:10:08while you're shopping fills you with horror, Andy has simple
0:10:08 > 0:10:12advice to stop you being distracted into buying things you don't need.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16If you do take a shopping list with you, that'll help you keep
0:10:16 > 0:10:17to what you really buy.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19And, of course, check that price per unit,
0:10:19 > 0:10:21which will hopefully make it a little bit easier to figure
0:10:21 > 0:10:25out what one from here and here actually is the best value.
0:10:30 > 0:10:31Now, earlier in the programme,
0:10:31 > 0:10:33we saw how supermarkets are starting to
0:10:33 > 0:10:37crack down on some of their best-known deals after accusations
0:10:37 > 0:10:38that they're confusing
0:10:38 > 0:10:42and may encourage us to spend more on things we just don't need.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46However, one person who's found a way to make special offers
0:10:46 > 0:10:49work to her advantage is Sam Shelford from Essex.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Like many of us, she's often to be found staring at her phone.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57But she's not simply messaging people or checking the latest
0:10:57 > 0:11:01headlines, she's glued to her phone for very different reasons.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07Am I addicted to special offers? I would say I am. Yeah, pretty much.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10There's many people out there who'll sit browsing the internet or
0:11:10 > 0:11:13just scrolling through Facebook or just scrolling through Instagram.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17For me, I actually use that time to look for and find coupons.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19When I go out and I find a great deal,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22the sad truth is I actually get a little excited.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25And obviously, I start to think, "How many can I get?
0:11:25 > 0:11:29"How many can I get for free? What if I combine it with this?"
0:11:29 > 0:11:32And all these thoughts start whizzing through my head.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Sam insists that her addiction to discounts saves her a small
0:11:35 > 0:11:39fortune. Her weekly shop for her family of three
0:11:39 > 0:11:43costs around £25, less than half the average family spend.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45This all started about three years ago,
0:11:45 > 0:11:47just after my daughter was born.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50We was paying £300-£400 a month on food shopping,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52and we just couldn't work out where it was going,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55and obviously going on maternity leave and not having much of
0:11:55 > 0:12:00an income made me realise I needed to tighten our belts a little bit.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03When it comes to Sam's main weekly shop, it's all about the bargains.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06She's determined never to pay full price.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Sam's successes echo those of the coupon kid, Jordan Cox,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14whom we've met on the programme before.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17£82 worth of shopping for...
0:12:17 > 0:12:19- ..50p. - That's when you were getting good.
0:12:19 > 0:12:20Yeah.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24Like him, Sam puts a lot of time and effort into finding the best
0:12:24 > 0:12:28deals, coupons and offers, but it does pay off.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30She estimates all the hard work saves her
0:12:30 > 0:12:32family as much as £1,300 a year.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36The main places I tend to find vouchers
0:12:36 > 0:12:38and coupons is obviously online.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41A lot of social media will have them, a lot of brands will
0:12:41 > 0:12:45have them on their websites, getting you to try their products.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Sam has a constant supply of vouchers cut out of magazines,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52downloaded from the internet or ripped off packaging,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54and that's just the start of her homework that she
0:12:54 > 0:12:57does before going anywhere near a shop.
0:12:57 > 0:12:58What I'm going to do now
0:12:58 > 0:13:01is sit and compile a shopping list.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03I've got my pile of coupons and my tablet,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06and basically what I'm going to do is work my way through,
0:13:06 > 0:13:08and just see what offers I've currently got in here.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Sam will write a list of all the products she has coupons for, then
0:13:14 > 0:13:18she uses price comparison websites to find out who is currently
0:13:18 > 0:13:20selling those products at the cheapest price.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24Such meticulous attention to detail is the reason that she ends
0:13:24 > 0:13:26up saving so much money.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29This week, she's hoping to bag a load of free soup.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32So obviously, one of the key offers was the soup,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34so when I checked the price comparison site,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37it had actually been reduced to a pound in store this week.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Now, I've got a pound off voucher,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41which actually makes it completely free.
0:13:42 > 0:13:47Sam is also a fan of cashback apps on her phone, such as TopCashback,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50CheckoutSmrt and Shopitize, all of which,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52once you've bought particular products, should result
0:13:52 > 0:13:56in your bank account being credited with the savings that you've made.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58But while it all sounds a world of opportunity -
0:13:58 > 0:14:01providing you're prepared, of course, to put the work in -
0:14:01 > 0:14:03there are those who'd cite a note of caution,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07particularly to the more casual bargain hunter.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11So industry expert Darren Smith has called round with some advice.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14- Hiya, nice to meet you.- I'm Darren. - Hello, come in.- Thank you.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17I'm very keen on coupons and supermarket special offers,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20and obviously their loyalty cards as well, but obviously what
0:14:20 > 0:14:24benefit is that to the supermarket if we're getting these good deals?
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Supermarkets are a business, at the end of the day,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29so the three things they're trying to do are either get you as a
0:14:29 > 0:14:32shopper to buy it more frequently, so as an example,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36Aunt Bessie's launched midweek roast potatoes, so you have a roastie
0:14:36 > 0:14:39on a Sunday, they're getting you to have one in the week as well.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42The second thing they're trying to do is increase trip spend,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44which means when you go in and you spend £1 on a product,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47they want you to spend £2, so they'll give you a bigger pack,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49and you might get two and a half times more,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52so it's better value for you, but you're spending more with them.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55The third thing is trying to get more shoppers to
0:14:55 > 0:14:57buy into that category or that product,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00so if you've never bought salads in the winter,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03they might give you a deal to say, "Buy this pack in the winter."
0:15:03 > 0:15:06And, of course, while the supermarkets realise
0:15:06 > 0:15:10the value of coupons, so too do product manufacturers. For them,
0:15:10 > 0:15:15the coupons you see as a great deal is simply very clever marketing.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18What tricks are actually used to get people enticed to
0:15:18 > 0:15:20- the in-store product? - So what the buyers
0:15:20 > 0:15:23and the suppliers are trying to do is trying to tempt you here,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26to buy the product, let's call that on the first rung of the stairs.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Buy it, you like it,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31and then when you come back and they roughly know your pattern of buying,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33six weeks later, they might get you to buy it again,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35maybe at a slightly higher price.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38So you buy more of it, and ultimately, what they're
0:15:38 > 0:15:42trying to get you to do is buy their product often, and at full-price.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47But Sam is confident that she knows exactly how to make
0:15:47 > 0:15:48the coupons work for her.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51Despite relying on them for her weekly shop,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54she's adamant she never buys anything that she doesn't need,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57or indeed, won't use, and that's once again the case with
0:15:57 > 0:16:00the latest haul that she's come back with.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02This is a shop that we've just purchased.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05This here was what we managed to purchase via coupons.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09Obviously luckily, the soups, the butter, the yoghurts and the
0:16:09 > 0:16:12hot chocolates were all completely free as well,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14which is an absolute bonus.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17If she had paid full price, Sam's shopping would have cost
0:16:17 > 0:16:25her £32.20, but with the coupons, it came to £19.40, a saving of 40%.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Supermarket special offers and deals may be coming under increasing
0:16:28 > 0:16:32scrutiny, but it's unlikely that they'll ever disappear completely.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35And, for Sam, that's just as well because she couldn't imagine
0:16:35 > 0:16:37giving up the way that she shops these days.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39I don't think I'd ever be able to get
0:16:39 > 0:16:42out of the routine of actually doing my shopping this way.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46I just see the massive savings that I made, I enjoy it,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49I get a little buzz out of it, which is quite sad to say.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52But, no, it'll always be a way of life for me now.
0:16:57 > 0:16:58Crowds, queues
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and heavy shopping bags are just a few of the reasons that more
0:17:01 > 0:17:06and more of us than ever before now do our weekly shopping online.
0:17:06 > 0:17:07It's a hassle-free alternative
0:17:07 > 0:17:11with the emphasis very firmly on convenience.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14So, it's presumably not unreasonable that such a service may,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17somewhere along the line, have some sort of cost attached to it.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Typically, for example, for delivery.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23But in recent months, we've come across a number of people all
0:17:23 > 0:17:25unhappy about the same thing.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29And that is a big change in the policy of one major supermarket
0:17:29 > 0:17:34that means that its online shopping now has more of a cost.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37One that quite a few of you feel makes it much less
0:17:37 > 0:17:39attractive as an option.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Nearly a third of all UK households now
0:17:44 > 0:17:46shop for their groceries on the internet.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48And collectively,
0:17:48 > 0:17:52we spend an average of £8.9 billion doing that every year.
0:17:52 > 0:17:53Wherever you live,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56it's very easy to see the appeal of being able to do your shopping
0:17:56 > 0:17:59online and then having it delivered straight to your door.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01You don't have to worry about traffic,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04about battling through crowds and, of course, best of all,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07it actually gets carried straight into the house.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Now, an awful lot of people reckon that that convenience is
0:18:10 > 0:18:13worth paying just a little bit extra for.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18But for others, it's not convenience at all, it's a practical necessity.
0:18:20 > 0:18:2364-year-old Dave Rosam from Winchester has relied
0:18:23 > 0:18:26heavily on his weekly online shop from Tesco.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Dave was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
0:18:32 > 0:18:35- over 30 years ago. Dave.- Hello. Come in.
0:18:36 > 0:18:41And the condition has had a lasting impact on his health and mobility.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45I get tired very easy, which is the main problem.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50I do have a back problem which... I tend to use a stick, I don't
0:18:50 > 0:18:54need to, but it does take the pressure off the back and the pain.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58How convenient has it been to have your shopping delivered here?
0:18:58 > 0:18:59Very convenient.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03It saves me time, it saves me petrol money,
0:19:03 > 0:19:08and also, I can think more about what I'm ordering.
0:19:08 > 0:19:09I think it's a great service.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15Or, at least, he did until a change in Tesco's policy led him
0:19:15 > 0:19:16to write to us.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20The store's online shopping service used to have a minimum
0:19:20 > 0:19:23spend of £25, a comfortable amount for Dave to spend.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28Any less than that and you'd incur a £4 surcharge.
0:19:28 > 0:19:29But in July 2015,
0:19:29 > 0:19:33Tesco started applying that £4 surcharge to shopping that
0:19:33 > 0:19:38came to less than £40, leaving Dave, and others like him,
0:19:38 > 0:19:39with a stark choice.
0:19:39 > 0:19:44Pay an extra £4 with no more groceries to show for it or, to
0:19:44 > 0:19:45avoid the surcharge,
0:19:45 > 0:19:49spend an extra £15 a week on food he simply doesn't need.
0:19:50 > 0:19:56I don't get angry very easy but I think I was angry.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Not just for myself, there are a lot of people out there...
0:20:01 > 0:20:08..who are less fit than me, older than me, who it will hit more.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13Who don't spend £40 a week on shopping, by any means.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18- Was £40 more than you would ever consider spending in a week?- Yes.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22- It's quite a chunk out of my income. - It's another £15 every time.- Yes.
0:20:22 > 0:20:30I'm just on state pension. And that is quite a considerable sum.
0:20:30 > 0:20:36I could, if required, arrange it so that I only had it every two weeks.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41But then you've got things like the fresh produce.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44They're not going to last me two weeks without going off.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Dave hasn't got the freezer space for the surplus food that
0:20:49 > 0:20:52he'd need to buy to escape the surcharge.
0:20:52 > 0:20:57But in any case, for him, it's not about storage but affordability.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00So what did you decide to do when you thought, no,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03I can't afford that extra £15 a week?
0:21:03 > 0:21:08I decided that while I'm not boycotting Tesco.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13I now do any online shopping that I want to do with ASDA.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16When we checked the policies of the other supermarkets,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19it was clear that the change in Tesco's policy,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22without which the store has said its online service would just
0:21:22 > 0:21:26not be viable, is simply bringing it into line with its rivals.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31Already, Morrisons won't deliver if your shopping costs less than £40.
0:21:31 > 0:21:32And although Sainsbury's will,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35you may have to pay a higher delivery charge.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39Meanwhile, Waitrose has a minimum online spend of £60.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Beneath that, it too won't deliver.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48200 miles away from Dave in Pembrokeshire lives 30-year-old
0:21:48 > 0:21:52Jessica, who's another person to contact us on the same point.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54She has cerebral palsy
0:21:54 > 0:21:57and finds online shopping deliveries are vital.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Sometimes, even the simplest of activities,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02like going shopping, can actually be quite hard work.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06The supermarket delivery service means that
0:22:06 > 0:22:09I can have my food effectively delivered to my front door.
0:22:10 > 0:22:16Before Tesco introduced its £4 surcharge on shopping under £40,
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Jessica used to make a couple of orders each week
0:22:18 > 0:22:22to avoid problems of trying to pick up fresh produce in store.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Having the shopping delivered to the front door,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29you haven't got to worry, what if I go somewhere
0:22:29 > 0:22:32and I can't reach the items I want on the shelves,
0:22:32 > 0:22:36or I can't pick up half of the items that I want to
0:22:36 > 0:22:39put in the trolley cos they can be quite heavy?
0:22:39 > 0:22:43But now that Tesco's minimum spend has gone up to £40,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Jessica only uses the online service every two to three weeks.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Which means, in between, at least twice a week,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53she makes the trip to her local convenience store to pick up
0:22:53 > 0:22:58all her fresh foods, and that can be difficult.
0:22:58 > 0:22:59Thank you very much.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02How are you? No, I've got a bag, actually.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06As with Dave, for Jessica, this is about more than convenience.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10She'd find it hard to justify paying the extra £4 that her shop
0:23:10 > 0:23:13will cost under Tesco's new rules.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17I've recently been made redundant from working full-time.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20I do have to be more conscious of what I'm spending and where I'm
0:23:20 > 0:23:24spending it cos, if I was to blow
0:23:24 > 0:23:27my whole week's benefit on food,
0:23:27 > 0:23:31I then perhaps wouldn't have money to pay the bills.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Disability charity Scope has concerns that people
0:23:34 > 0:23:39like Jessica are being priced out of a service that they really need.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43Disabled people are more likely than non-disabled people to do their
0:23:43 > 0:23:47shopping online, and very often, that's out of necessity rather than
0:23:47 > 0:23:52desire because local shops might not be accessible to them.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56What this increase might mean is that they won't be able to do
0:23:56 > 0:23:57that weekly shop online.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02But you can understand the supermarkets' position as well.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05The cost of running an online shopping service really adds up,
0:24:05 > 0:24:07with many making losses as a result.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10The Big Four retailers aren't making huge profits from online
0:24:10 > 0:24:13because there are massive costs associated with running these
0:24:13 > 0:24:16businesses. You have to have distribution centres
0:24:16 > 0:24:19and you have to have a lot of picking in stores.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22And then you have to have somebody driving delivery lorries
0:24:22 > 0:24:26and delivery vans, and half the time, those delivery vans are empty,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28of course, because they're going back to the depot.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30So all those costs have to be borne
0:24:30 > 0:24:34and, as a result, it's very difficult to make a profit in this area.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38If it's costing between £15 and £25 to pick an order, somebody who
0:24:38 > 0:24:42purchases £30 of product is not a valuable customer to the retailer.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45As a consequence, what retailers are doing,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48they're having to increase the minimum spend to cover those costs.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51All of which makes perfect business sense,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54but when the average cost of a weekly shop for a single person
0:24:54 > 0:24:58under retirement age is around £30 a week,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01minimum spends of £40 or more do raise the question of
0:25:01 > 0:25:04whether online shopping is becoming less
0:25:04 > 0:25:09practical for some of the people who might most benefit from using it.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13When we asked the supermarkets if they felt that their online shopping
0:25:13 > 0:25:16charges meet the needs of more vulnerable customers,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20they were keen to stress that there are ways of keeping the costs down.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24Morrisons, Sainsbury's and ASDA each told us that their charges
0:25:24 > 0:25:28start at as little as £1, depending on the time and the day.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32And regular customers can reduce costs further through
0:25:32 > 0:25:33buying their...
0:25:33 > 0:25:37And while it's not quite as convenient as home delivery,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40some stores also pointed out that there's a lower minimum spend
0:25:40 > 0:25:43if you use their click and collect and service.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Waitrose didn't comment directly on costs,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49but said it's continually looking at ways of responding to
0:25:49 > 0:25:53the needs of customers, highlighting a scheme to raise the alarm
0:25:53 > 0:25:56if an elderly or vulnerable person doesn't always answer the door.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00And when we spoke to Tesco about Dave and Jessica's case,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04it told us that it had to introduce a minimum basket spend
0:26:04 > 0:26:06or it simply wouldn't be able to provide a...
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Tesco said that it had a range of offers to make online
0:26:13 > 0:26:16shopping cheaper, including its Delivery Saver scheme,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19which the supermarket said had proved popular.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24But, whatever the delivery price,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27that minimum £40 spend remains an issue for Jessica,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30who's frustrated that it limits how often
0:26:30 > 0:26:34she uses a service that makes shopping so much easier for her.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36I don't mind asking for help
0:26:36 > 0:26:40but I'm so independent that I want to be able to manage it myself.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44So being able just to click a few buttons and say I want this,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46this, just gives me that independence.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48There's enough times in your life that you have to admit defeat
0:26:48 > 0:26:51and say that you need help with stuff, and being able to say
0:26:51 > 0:26:54that you can do your shopping independently is just really good.
0:27:00 > 0:27:01Well, of course it's oh,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05so easy to be dazzled by the array of special offers and deals
0:27:05 > 0:27:08with which we're confronted every time we go into a supermarket.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10But, as with any kind of shopping,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13you do sometimes just need to keep your wits about you a bit,
0:27:13 > 0:27:15however much you might just want to get in
0:27:15 > 0:27:18and get out of the store as quickly as possible.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Because, well, as we've seen, not everything is necessarily
0:27:21 > 0:27:24quite as good a deal as it might at first appear.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26But while life's too short, I think,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29to do a full-on price comparison every time you're
0:27:29 > 0:27:30planning your weekly shop,
0:27:30 > 0:27:34the occasional check on which stores are offering the best prices
0:27:34 > 0:27:37really can pay dividends when it comes to getting value for money.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41We're often incredibly loyal to our favourite supermarket,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45and that could mean we're missing out on better prices elsewhere.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Well, I must confess, I sometimes quite enjoy going to
0:27:48 > 0:27:51the supermarket and having a good old rummage and a pry around.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53And by and large, I think that all that rivalry between the big
0:27:53 > 0:27:56names probably does help you keep the prices down.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59But let us know if there's anything about your food shopping that's
0:27:59 > 0:28:03left you feeling, I don't know, bamboozled or even short-changed.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05And we'll continue to keep the supermarkets on their toes.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08But I'm afraid that's where we have to leave it at this point.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Clearly, we look forward to your company again very soon.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14- But, from all of us on the team, bye-bye.- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.