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 are 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 > 0:01:12- supermarkets.
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 - supermarket special offers
0:02:02 > 0:02:04and price match promises under fire.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Are they really everything they seem?
0:02:07 > 0:02:11It just seemed to me that the whole system was set up to
0:02:11 > 0:02:14confuse as to whether or not they were getting value for money.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19And how to save a packet on your weekly shop -
0:02:19 > 0:02:23this coupon queen shares her secrets for slashing what you spend.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27When I go out and find a great deal, I actually get a little excited.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29I start to think, "How many can I get for free?
0:02:29 > 0:02:31"What if I combine it with this?,"
0:02:31 > 0:02:34and all these thoughts start whizzing through my head.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Special offers and promotions have traditionally been
0:02:41 > 0:02:44one of the ways that supermarkets tempt us through their doors,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48but anyone who regularly checks the deals available will probably have
0:02:48 > 0:02:51noticed how often the same products
0:02:51 > 0:02:54and brands pop up at that apparently reduced price.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56And that begs the question -
0:02:56 > 0:02:59when is an offer no longer quite so special, and
0:02:59 > 0:03:03when is it in fact just the price that you should regularly be paying?
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Buy one get one free, two for the price of one,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12buy two get a third half price.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Supermarkets have been using special offers to compete for our
0:03:15 > 0:03:20business, tempting us with deals that seem certain to save us money.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23But some of them, and especially the buy one get one frees we've
0:03:23 > 0:03:27come to know as BOGOFs, are coming under increasing scrutiny.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31So, are we always getting the bargain we think we are?
0:03:31 > 0:03:33I think if you've got a big family, a multibuy is a good idea,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36especially if you're buying loads of cereals or something.
0:03:36 > 0:03:41Probably it would be a good idea for families, consumer families,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43because they want to buy quantities.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45I always do the maths first,
0:03:45 > 0:03:50cos not all buy one get one frees are actually get one free.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52But, as the number of BOGOFs has soared,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56so too have concerns over whether they really save us money at all.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Last year, the consumer group Which?
0:03:58 > 0:04:01launched what's called a super-complaint against the big
0:04:01 > 0:04:04four supermarkets, claiming shoppers had been duped out
0:04:04 > 0:04:08of hundreds of millions of pounds through misleading pricing tactics.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11They demanded an investigation into what they described as "dodgy
0:04:11 > 0:04:16"multibuys, shrinking products, and baffling sales offers."
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Those are all concerns echoed by Andy Webb
0:04:18 > 0:04:21from the government-funded Money Advice Service.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24He says BOGOFs and other deals seduce shoppers into buying
0:04:24 > 0:04:26food they don't need.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29We found that 75% of us, that's three quarters of us,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32when we go to the supermarket, we're spending more
0:04:32 > 0:04:35because we've seen this deal that we feel we have to buy.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38And it works out around 21% when you get to the checkout,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41that's been added to the bill, about £11 or £12 per shop.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Now, we go to the supermarket roughly twice a week,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47the research found, so in a year, that could be over £1,200,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49which is a ridiculous amount of money that we're
0:04:49 > 0:04:53spending on things we hadn't intended to buy when we went in.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57What's more, the Money Advice Service reckons the reason we
0:04:57 > 0:05:01so eagerly snap up all those BOGOFs is because it's not
0:05:01 > 0:05:04easy to understand whether they offer genuine value for money.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08So we took four everyday products
0:05:08 > 0:05:12and four different examples of how the offers are presented,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14and asked people to pick the one which they thought was
0:05:14 > 0:05:16the best value,
0:05:16 > 0:05:20and out of everyone who answered that, only one in 50 -
0:05:20 > 0:05:23that's 2% - were able to get all four correct, which just shows how
0:05:23 > 0:05:27complicated some of the wording can be in the supermarket.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32We wanted to see for ourselves how confusing these supermarket
0:05:32 > 0:05:33offers might be,
0:05:33 > 0:05:38so we asked Andy to repeat his test on the streets of Manchester.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40So we've got these four everyday kind of products you
0:05:40 > 0:05:42buy in the supermarket...
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Andy's seeing if passing shoppers can work out which of several
0:05:45 > 0:05:49different offers is really the best deal. So, thinking caps on.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53Chances are, you might not instantly get it right, either.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56First off, he's got a choice of prices for eggs.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16So, which deal would you go for?
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Well, if your maths skills are a bit rusty, it's the last one.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24This time, the BOGOF was the best value.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27But let's see if our shoppers can work it out.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Oh, gosh. One second. Erm...
0:06:31 > 0:06:34That's probably the best one. 10 medium eggs on offer for £1.50.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37- It's actually the bottom one. - Is it? Impossible.
0:06:37 > 0:06:43- So that's... 20 for £2.20. That one, I think.- Yep, bang on, that's right.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48- That's the best option there, if you need 20 eggs.- Which I wouldn't.
0:06:48 > 0:06:5210 for £1.50. Two packs of six, so 12 for £2...
0:06:52 > 0:06:57- Buy one get one free on 10 for £2.20...- 20 for £2.20.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00- Yeah, it's that one, isn't it? - That's right. Well done.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03- I'd say the bottom one.- Yeah, it is the bottom one.- Is it? Oh, good.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05But that's a lot of eggs, it's 20 eggs for that last option,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08but it works out cheaper if you need that many eggs.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Next up is lemons. Which of these represents the best deal?
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Remember, these are exactly the sort of calculations we make
0:07:36 > 0:07:39whenever we go shopping, and they're not easy.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Once again, it's the last answer that's the right one,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44but it takes a bit of time to get there.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49- Next up we've got 500g of lemons. - Oh, God.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51I buy them one at a time.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55Yes, you do, don't you? I think it's that one, but my mind's going.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57It's difficult when we put you on the spot.
0:07:57 > 0:07:58- It's actually the last one. - Is it, yeah?
0:07:58 > 0:08:02That one's slightly cheaper, but again, it's a lot of lemons, isn't it?
0:08:02 > 0:08:03Which represents the best deal?
0:08:03 > 0:08:10One pack of 500g costs £1.20, buy one and get one half price on 250...
0:08:10 > 0:08:13It's ridiculous. Erm...
0:08:13 > 0:08:17- £1.10 for 500, that's probably the cheapest one, is it?- Yeah, it is.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- You're good at this. - I'm accountant, so there you go.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22- There we go, so your reputation's on the line now.- Yeah.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27- That one, I think.- No, £1.05 for... Oh, wait.- Yeah, for half. What?
0:08:27 > 0:08:32No, wait. Buy one get one half price on 250, so for 500g it's £1.05,
0:08:32 > 0:08:37- so it's that one. - Yeah, you're right.- No!
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- You're meant to be the clever one. - Well done.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Andy's got similar offers on ketchup...
0:08:44 > 0:08:48I'm leaning towards number two.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50It's actually number three.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52- Oh, is it number three? OK. - Is it that one?- It's not, it's...
0:08:52 > 0:08:53- That one?- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:08:53 > 0:08:59- I'm kind of losing the will to live, to be honest.- ..and milk.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Two four pint cartons... Gosh, this is mind-boggling, isn't it?
0:09:02 > 0:09:05If you had a little bit more time, I think you'd have got all of them
0:09:05 > 0:09:07- right.- There's a lot of pressure. There's pressure!
0:09:07 > 0:09:11I don't know. Erm... That one.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15- It is that one, yes.- Thank goodness. - Oh, this is so complicated.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18- Calculators out. - So, this is cheaper.- Well done.- Yes!
0:09:18 > 0:09:21We got there in the end, well done.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23So, it's quite clear that, when faced with
0:09:23 > 0:09:28a multitude of multipack deals, most people were totally baffled.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30So, of the 10 people we spoke to, only one of them got all
0:09:30 > 0:09:33the answers correct, and that was with the help of a calculator.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36I think that just goes to show that some of the wording is really
0:09:36 > 0:09:39complicated, it is difficult to try and find the best value
0:09:39 > 0:09:42when you're faced with so many different options.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45After carrying out an investigation into supermarket offers,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49the Competition and Markets Authority issued recommendations
0:09:49 > 0:09:53that stores should provide greater clarity over their prices.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Since then, most of the big names have started moving
0:09:56 > 0:09:59away from the traditional buy one get one free deals.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03In February, Sainsbury's was the first to announce that, within
0:10:03 > 0:10:07the next year, it'll have stopped doing multi-buy offers altogether.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10It said such deals are out of step with modern shoppers,
0:10:10 > 0:10:15whose priorities are now cutting waste and eating more healthily.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Other stores too have now said they're
0:10:17 > 0:10:21concentrating on everyday low prices, rather than promotions.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23But the British Retail Consortium,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26which speaks for the industry as a whole, pointed out that...
0:10:32 > 0:10:35..and that, while the Competition And Markets Authority had found a limited
0:10:35 > 0:10:39number of potentially confusing pricing practices,
0:10:39 > 0:10:43these problems are not systemic across the retail industry.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47But, if the idea of doing all those sums
0:10:47 > 0:10:51while you're shopping fills you with horror, Andy has simple
0:10:51 > 0:10:55advice to stop you being distracted into buying things you don't need.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58If you do take a shopping list with you, that'll help you keep
0:10:58 > 0:10:59to what you really buy.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01And of course, check that price per unit,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04which will hopefully make it a little bit easier to figure
0:11:04 > 0:11:07out what one from here and here actually is the best value.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Well, I think we all know that the big supermarket chains go to
0:11:14 > 0:11:15great lengths to
0:11:15 > 0:11:19persuade us that it should be their stores that we're shopping in,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21rather than those of their rivals up the road.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23And, of course, the main way that they try
0:11:23 > 0:11:27and do that is by convincing us that they cannot be beaten on price.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to charge
0:11:30 > 0:11:34you less than the other big stores for the same product.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38Instead, very often the promise is simply that they will match
0:11:38 > 0:11:40what you would have paid elsewhere.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43But, of course, whilst price matching has become
0:11:43 > 0:11:45a key tactic in the supermarket
0:11:45 > 0:11:48price war, it doesn't always quite work out in the way that you
0:11:48 > 0:11:51would think it would, which prompted one Rip-Off Britain viewer to
0:11:51 > 0:11:54help us out with an experiment, to see
0:11:54 > 0:11:58just how those price match promises really do stack up.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Whether it's an ad from Tesco...
0:12:02 > 0:12:05If your branded shop is cheaper at Asda, Morrisons or Sainsbury's,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08- we'll take the money off your bill at the till.- ..Asda...
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Millions of people have discovered they can
0:12:10 > 0:12:13save 10% on their groceries when they shop at Asda,
0:12:13 > 0:12:18- when you use the Asda price guarantee.- ..or Sainsbury's...
0:12:18 > 0:12:22If you could have paid less at Asda, even because of a deal,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26we'll give you a coupon for the difference off your next shop.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29..the big supermarkets have all had price match promises
0:12:29 > 0:12:32guaranteeing that you won't lose out, even if
0:12:32 > 0:12:35what's in your basket would have cost less elsewhere.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38Promising to match their competitors'
0:12:38 > 0:12:42prices has been a key weapon in the tug-of-war between Britain's
0:12:42 > 0:12:45three biggest supermarkets, Tesco, Asda, and Sainsbury's.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55But there are some who remain unconvinced that the schemes
0:12:55 > 0:12:59will save you as much money as the ads might lead you to believe.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Among them - Granville Rooley from Scarborough.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06He e-mailed us after looking more closely into the details of one
0:13:06 > 0:13:10store's price matching scheme, and getting lost in the small print.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15It just seemed to me that the whole system was set up to
0:13:15 > 0:13:19confuse as to whether or not they were getting value for money.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24It was Morrisons Match & More scheme that had so baffled Granville.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27The price matching element of that particular loyalty scheme has
0:13:27 > 0:13:29now been discontinued, the store says,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32because customers found it complicated.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35So, for the moment at least, Morrisons is out of the price
0:13:35 > 0:13:38matching game, as is Sainsbury's.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41The store has just ended its price match scheme,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45leaving just Tesco and Asda sticking with theirs.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47The way such schemes work is that stores check
0:13:47 > 0:13:51the price of identical products against the competition,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54and if you'd have paid less elsewhere, one way or another,
0:13:54 > 0:13:55you'll get that money back.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Or at least, that's the idea.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01But price match schemes can be a little more complicated than
0:14:01 > 0:14:04you might assume, which is why they typically leave shopping
0:14:04 > 0:14:07expert Phillip Adcock decidedly unimpressed.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11What started as a good, honourable scheme in all the stores has
0:14:11 > 0:14:15turned into what isn't much more than smoke and mirrors.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17Oh, dear. So, is he right?
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Well, to find out, Phillip is sending Granville off to the shops.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25He's going to be visiting a branch of Asda, Morrisons, Tesco,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28and Sainsbury's, and in each one trying to buy the same ten items,
0:14:28 > 0:14:32just to see what difference price matching makes to the final bill.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35But Granville's about to discover that price matching may not
0:14:35 > 0:14:38always be as simple as you might have hoped.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42And that's because each store's scheme comes with its own
0:14:42 > 0:14:44particular rules and limitations.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47For starters, the big chains won't necessarily be comparing
0:14:47 > 0:14:50prices with as many stores as you think.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Tesco's scheme checks the prices
0:14:53 > 0:14:56at Asda, Sainsbury's, and Morrisons.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Asda checks the prices at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose,
0:15:00 > 0:15:01and Morrisons.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Sainsbury's did still price match at the time of our shop,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06but only against Asda.
0:15:06 > 0:15:07And, as Granville knows,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Morrisons no longer commits to matching anyone.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14The next thing you need to keep in mind about supermarket price
0:15:14 > 0:15:17matching is that each store's product needs to be identical.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Now, that may sound pretty obvious,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23but what looks like the same product may sometimes be ever so slightly
0:15:23 > 0:15:28different in size, which could mean that it's excluded from the deal.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30So, the price match only works at Tesco,
0:15:30 > 0:15:32and until recently Sainsbury's,
0:15:32 > 0:15:36if what you're buying is exactly the same size in rivals' stores.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Asda, however, will still do it if the product is no more
0:15:39 > 0:15:42than 10% bigger or smaller than in another supermarket.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45The key to the price match is comparability.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48What the supermarkets tend to do is have their own exclusive
0:15:48 > 0:15:51products, a slightly different weight, to make it incomparable.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53And it doesn't stop there.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Some stores even have rules about how many products you need to
0:15:56 > 0:15:59buy before the price match kicks in.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02If you're starting to wonder whether or not price matching really
0:16:02 > 0:16:06is as impressive as those bold TV ads suggest,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09remember too that not everything is going to be included in the schemes.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Most non-food items, for example,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15and in particular the store's own-brand products.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17Only Asda compares the prices of those.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22Other current and recent schemes only include branded products,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25all of which means that quite a chunk of the typical weekly
0:16:25 > 0:16:27shop simply isn't going to count.
0:16:29 > 0:16:30- How'd you get on?- All right, Phil.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35Which is exactly what Granville found on his shopping trip.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38We sent him to a branch of each of the four biggest supermarkets, with
0:16:38 > 0:16:41an identical shopping list, containing 10 of Britain's
0:16:41 > 0:16:42top-selling brands.
0:16:42 > 0:16:43But on the day that he shopped,
0:16:43 > 0:16:45not all of those products were
0:16:45 > 0:16:46available in every store,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48which meant that his price match
0:16:48 > 0:16:49savings were much more
0:16:49 > 0:16:50limited than you might
0:16:50 > 0:16:53expect from the big store ads.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55So, this is the point. How can we price match
0:16:55 > 0:16:59when not all the same stores sell the same products?
0:16:59 > 0:17:01And the same thing was true when we had another
0:17:01 > 0:17:02go at doing the same shop.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04On the day we checked,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Sainsbury's was the only supermarket to stock all ten items.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11Tesco, they only stocked nine of them, and at Asda, eight.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14So in those stores, we substituted them for their
0:17:14 > 0:17:16closest equivalent product.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20So, for example, we replaced this 1.25 litre bottle of Robinsons
0:17:20 > 0:17:23squash with this one litre bottle instead.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28But, because it wasn't identical, it wasn't eligible to be price matched.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30We did, however, get price match savings in each
0:17:30 > 0:17:32of the three stores that were
0:17:32 > 0:17:35price matching at the time, although there was quite
0:17:35 > 0:17:37a difference in how we were able to cash them in.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41Tesco is the only supermarket to knock off the price match
0:17:41 > 0:17:43savings before you pay.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Sainsbury's gave us a voucher at the checkout,
0:17:46 > 0:17:47to spend on a future visit.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49But at Asda, we had to wait until we got home,
0:17:49 > 0:17:53and that's because you have to log on to Asda's website to use
0:17:53 > 0:17:57a code on your receipt to find out if you have got any savings at all.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Only then will you get a voucher to spend on a future shop.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05It's all enough to leave anyone confused, but it can be worth it.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Because, on the day we went shopping,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10price matching did in the end make a difference to the cost of our shop.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Which meant that it was at Asda where we ended up with
0:18:40 > 0:18:44the cheapest shopping, once the price match had kicked in.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47And maybe that's partly because, unlike the other supermarkets,
0:18:47 > 0:18:53Asda promises not just to match prices, but to beat them by 10%.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58On the day we shopped, we got a maximum saving of around 13%.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01But, if we'd done it on another day, that figure may well have been
0:19:01 > 0:19:05different, with other supermarkets providing the best discount.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07And while, of course, any saving is welcome,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10the fact that they can vary each time
0:19:10 > 0:19:13and rarely level out your final bill altogether,
0:19:13 > 0:19:18is why Phillip remains so sceptical about price matching schemes.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20The thing about these schemes is,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23they can look like they're not all they're cracked up to be,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26and honestly I think that's probably the case nowadays.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27Now, of course, behind the scenes,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31the supermarkets themselves are constantly comparing prices,
0:19:31 > 0:19:33to check that they are in line with the competition,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35a point Asda stressed
0:19:35 > 0:19:39when we asked the stores themselves about their price match schemes.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42And it reiterated that, unlike other supermarkets,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45it does match own brand products, because, it says...
0:19:49 > 0:19:52So, as a result, it felt our shopping test wasn't fair,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55because by comparing only branded products,
0:19:55 > 0:19:59we didn't reflect Asda's own particular price guarantee.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03Meanwhile at the time, Sainsbury's insisted that its brand match
0:20:03 > 0:20:07scheme was as clear as possible, but within weeks,
0:20:07 > 0:20:09it had ended the scheme altogether, saying,
0:20:09 > 0:20:14"Customer research shows that lower regular prices matter more."
0:20:14 > 0:20:18Rather than price match, it will now cut the cost of popular key
0:20:18 > 0:20:21products customers buy week in, week out.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24As for Tesco, it didn't get back to us,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28but in a surprise move, the store has announced that it will be
0:20:28 > 0:20:32accepting Sainsbury's now defunct brand match coupons until June.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37But whether or not price matching always lives up
0:20:37 > 0:20:40to your expectations, there is a way that you can be sure how each
0:20:40 > 0:20:44store's prices compare before getting anywhere near the tills.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46- Hi.- Hi, nice to meet you. - Thanks so much for seeing us.
0:20:46 > 0:20:51Kim Ludlow is from price comparison website mysupermarket.com,
0:20:51 > 0:20:55which keeps tabs on what you pay for the same items at all the
0:20:55 > 0:20:58big names, making it very easy to work out
0:20:58 > 0:21:02whether you'll get the best value for money on individual products.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05What we try to do is actually compare, or what we can do within
0:21:05 > 0:21:08our site, we've created a uniform price,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12so you can see price per wash against every laundry powder.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Price per tablet against dishwasher tablets.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Within our site, that's what we've been able to do.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20So what do you make of the shops that are now doing price comparison
0:21:20 > 0:21:21and price matching?
0:21:21 > 0:21:25There is no one retailer doing the same as the other retailers,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28so there are lots of different ways and different methodologies
0:21:28 > 0:21:31that they're using, and basically, it's confusing shoppers.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34There is no way that they can compare one retailer to
0:21:34 > 0:21:35another retailer.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Is there any one supermarket that's better
0:21:37 > 0:21:40than any other at actually offering value for money?
0:21:40 > 0:21:42- No. - SHE LAUGHS
0:21:42 > 0:21:44In a nutshell, no.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46There are arguments about that comparing,
0:21:46 > 0:21:51so the price of baked beans, to compare one tin versus another tin.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53You'll have arguments from retailers, saying,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56"Well, my tin of baked beans is much better quality than theirs,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58"so you can't compare it."
0:21:59 > 0:22:02As for Granville, well, after his shopping experiment,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04he's more certain than ever that he won't be
0:22:04 > 0:22:07relying on the promise of a price match to get him
0:22:07 > 0:22:10the best value for money on his next trip to the supermarket.
0:22:11 > 0:22:16The price match schemes, in my view, are an advertising ploy.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19They have already lost my trust.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24That doesn't mean to say that I won't shop at these shops, but
0:22:24 > 0:22:29I will make sure that I am shopping to my advantage, rather than theirs.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Still to come on Rip-Off Britain - the cost of online shopping.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43Are new charges pricing out those who need the service most?
0:22:44 > 0:22:47I was angry, not just for myself.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52There are a lot of people out there who are less fit than me,
0:22:52 > 0:22:54older than me, who it will hit more.
0:23:00 > 0:23:01Earlier in the programme,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03we saw how supermarkets are starting to
0:23:03 > 0:23:07crack down on some of their best-known deals, after accusations
0:23:07 > 0:23:08that they're confusing,
0:23:08 > 0:23:12and may encourage us to spend more on things we just don't need.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16However, one person who's found a way to make special offers
0:23:16 > 0:23:18work to her advantage is Sam Shelford, from Essex.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Like many of us, she's often to be found staring at her phone.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27But she's not simply messaging people or checking the latest
0:23:27 > 0:23:30headlines, she's glued to her phone for very different reasons.
0:23:32 > 0:23:37Am I addicted to special offers? I would say I am. Yeah, pretty much.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39There's many people out there who'll sit browsing the internet or
0:23:39 > 0:23:43just scrolling through Facebook or just scrolling through Instagram.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46For me, I actually use that time to look for and find coupons.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49When I go out, and I find a great deal,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52the sad truth is I actually get a little excited.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55And obviously, I start to think, "How many can I get?
0:23:55 > 0:23:59"How many can I get for free? What if I combine it with this?,"
0:23:59 > 0:24:02And all these thoughts start whizzing through my head.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Sam insists that her addiction to discounts saves her a small
0:24:05 > 0:24:08fortune. Her weekly shop for her family of three
0:24:08 > 0:24:13costs around £25, less than half the average family spend.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15This all started about three years ago,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17just after my daughter was born.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20We was paying £300-£400 a month on food shopping,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22and we just couldn't work out where it was going,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25and obviously going on maternity leave and not having much of
0:24:25 > 0:24:30an income made me realise I needed to tighten our belts a little bit.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33When it comes to Sam's main weekly shop, it's all about the bargains.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36She's determined never to pay full price.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Last year, in a national newspaper, they ran a special offer
0:24:40 > 0:24:44where you get £5 worth of fruit and vegetables for absolutely nothing in
0:24:43 > 0:24:48one of the major supermarkets. Me being me, I went out and bought
0:24:48 > 0:24:5210 newspapers, and saved myself £50 on fruit and vegetables that day.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Sam's successes echo those of the coupon kid, Jordan Cox,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01whom we've met on the programme before.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03£82 worth of shopping for...
0:25:03 > 0:25:05- ..50p. - That's when you were getting good.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Yeah.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Like him, Sam puts a lot of time and effort into finding the best
0:25:10 > 0:25:14deals, coupons, and offers, but it does pay off.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16She estimates all the hard work saves her
0:25:16 > 0:25:18family as much as £1,300 a year.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24A lot of research does go into finding out the best deals,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27cos I started looking online, looking on social media to see
0:25:27 > 0:25:31where coupons could be found, how money can be saved, how to budget.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35You know, general money-saving ideas. It's become a sort of hobby.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37The main places I tend to find vouchers
0:25:37 > 0:25:40and coupons is obviously online.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43A lot of social media will have them, a lot of brands will
0:25:43 > 0:25:47have them on their websites, getting you to try their products.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Sam has a constant supply of vouchers cut out of magazines,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54downloaded from the internet, or ripped off packaging,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56and that's just the start of her homework that she
0:25:56 > 0:26:00- does before going anywhere near a shop.- What I'm going to do now
0:26:00 > 0:26:02is sit and compile a shopping list.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05I've got my pile of coupons and my tablet,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08and basically what I'm going to do is work my way through,
0:26:08 > 0:26:10and just see what offers I've currently got in here.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16Sam will write a list of all the products she has coupons for, then
0:26:16 > 0:26:19she uses price comparison websites to find out who is currently
0:26:19 > 0:26:22selling those products at the cheapest price.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Such meticulous attention to detail is the reason that she ends
0:26:25 > 0:26:28up saving so much money.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31This week, she's hoping to bag a load of free soup.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34So obviously, one of the key offers was the soup,
0:26:34 > 0:26:36so when I checked the price comparison site,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39it had actually been reduced to a pound in store this week.
0:26:39 > 0:26:40Now, I've got a pound off voucher,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43which actually makes it completely free.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48Sam is also a fan of cashback apps on her phone, such as TopCashback,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51CheckoutSmrt, and Shopitize, all of which,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54once you've bought particular products, should result
0:26:54 > 0:26:58in your bank account being credited with the savings that you've made.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00But while it all sounds a world of opportunity -
0:27:00 > 0:27:03providing you're prepared, of course, to put the work in -
0:27:03 > 0:27:05there are those who'd cite a note of caution,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09particularly to the more casual bargain hunter.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12So industry expert Darren Smith has called round with some advice.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16- Hiya, nice to meet you.- I'm Darren. - Hello, come in.- Thank you.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19I'm very keen on coupons and supermarket special offers,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22and obviously their loyalty cards as well, but obviously what
0:27:22 > 0:27:25benefit is that to the supermarket if we're getting these good deals?
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Supermarkets are a business, at the end of the day,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30so the three things they're trying to do are either get you as a
0:27:30 > 0:27:34shopper to bite more frequently, so as an example,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38Aunt Bessie's launched midweek roast potatoes, so you have a roastie
0:27:38 > 0:27:40on a Sunday, and they're getting you to have one in the week as well.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43The second thing they're trying to do is increase trip spend,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46which means when you go in and you spend £1 on a product,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49they want you to spend £2, so they'll give you a bigger pack,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51and you might get two and a half times more,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54so it's better value for you, but you're spending more with them.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57The third thing is they're trying to get more shoppers to
0:27:57 > 0:27:59buy into that category or that product,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02so if you've never bought salads in the winter,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05they might give you a deal to say, "Buy this pack in the winter."
0:28:05 > 0:28:08And of course, while the supermarkets realise
0:28:08 > 0:28:12the value of coupons, so too do product manufacturers. For them,
0:28:12 > 0:28:17the coupon you see as a great deal is simply very clever marketing.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19What tricks are actually used to get people enticed to the
0:28:19 > 0:28:20in-store product?
0:28:20 > 0:28:22So what the buyers
0:28:22 > 0:28:25and the suppliers are trying to do is trying to tempt you here,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28to buy the product, let's call that on the first rung of the stairs.
0:28:28 > 0:28:29Buy it, you like it,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32and then when you come back and they roughly know your pattern of buying,
0:28:32 > 0:28:35six weeks later they might get you to buy it again,
0:28:35 > 0:28:37maybe at a slightly higher price.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39So you buy more of it, and ultimately, what they're
0:28:39 > 0:28:43trying to get you to do is buy their product often, and at full-price.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49But Sam is confident that she knows exactly how to make
0:28:49 > 0:28:50the coupons work for her.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52Despite relying on them for her weekly shop,
0:28:52 > 0:28:55she's adamant she never buys anything that she doesn't need,
0:28:55 > 0:28:59or indeed, won't use, and that's once again the case with
0:28:59 > 0:29:01the latest haul that she's come back with.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03This is a shop that we've just purchased.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07This here was what we managed to purchase via coupons.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11Obviously luckily, the soups, the butter, the yoghurts and the
0:29:11 > 0:29:14hot chocolates were all completely free as well,
0:29:14 > 0:29:16which is an absolute bonus.
0:29:16 > 0:29:17As well as all those freebies,
0:29:17 > 0:29:22half the items Sam bought were using the cashback app on her phone,
0:29:22 > 0:29:24so at the store she'll have paid full price,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27but now that she's home, she can claim her discount.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30In order to claim cashback on these items,
0:29:30 > 0:29:33what you need to do is you need to open the app itself,
0:29:33 > 0:29:35scan the barcodes on the relevant items,
0:29:35 > 0:29:38take a picture of the receipt ensuring that all
0:29:38 > 0:29:41items on the receipt are included, and then just upload it
0:29:41 > 0:29:45and the app will actually approve the products that you have
0:29:45 > 0:29:47purchased and apply the cashback to your app.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52If she had paid full price, Sam's shopping would have cost
0:29:52 > 0:29:58her £32.20, but with the coupons, it came to £19.40, a saving of 40%.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03Sam's addiction to discounts seems to be paying off,
0:30:03 > 0:30:07because she's even persuaded her own mum to follow her example.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09How much do you reckon you've saved in the last
0:30:09 > 0:30:11couple of years of doing it?
0:30:11 > 0:30:13Well, in the last two years that I've been doing it,
0:30:13 > 0:30:15I've saved really about £2,500.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18So, are you going to treat me out your savings then, Mum?
0:30:18 > 0:30:21Oh, you must be joking, you've made more than me yourself,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24so I'll be treating your dad to a holiday.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27Supermarket special offers and deals may be coming under increasing
0:30:27 > 0:30:31scrutiny, but it's unlikely that they'll ever disappear completely.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34And for Sam that's just as well, because she couldn't imagine
0:30:34 > 0:30:37giving up the way that she shops these days.
0:30:37 > 0:30:38I don't think that I'd ever be able to get
0:30:38 > 0:30:41out of the routine of actually doing my shopping this way.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45I just see the massive savings that I made, I enjoy it,
0:30:45 > 0:30:48I get a little buzz out of it, which is quite sad to say.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51But, no, it'll always be a way of life for me now.
0:30:56 > 0:30:57Crowds, queues
0:30:57 > 0:31:00and heavy shopping bags are just a few of the reasons that more
0:31:00 > 0:31:05and more of us than ever before now do our weekly shopping online.
0:31:05 > 0:31:06It's a hassle free alternative,
0:31:06 > 0:31:10with the emphasis very firmly on convenience.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13So, it's presumably not unreasonable that such a service may,
0:31:13 > 0:31:17somewhere along the line, have some sort of cost attached to it.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19Typically, for example, for delivery.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22But in recent months we've come across a number of people all
0:31:22 > 0:31:24unhappy about the same thing.
0:31:24 > 0:31:29And that is a big change in the policy of one major supermarket,
0:31:29 > 0:31:33that means that its online shopping now has more of a cost.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36One that quite a few of you feel makes it much less
0:31:36 > 0:31:38attractive as an option.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43Nearly a third of all UK households now
0:31:43 > 0:31:45shop for their grocers on the internet.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47And collectively,
0:31:47 > 0:31:51we spend an average of £8.9 billion doing that every year.
0:31:51 > 0:31:52Wherever you live,
0:31:52 > 0:31:56it's very easy to see the appeal of being able to do your shopping
0:31:56 > 0:31:59online, and then having it delivered straight to your door.
0:31:59 > 0:32:00You don't have to worry about traffic,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03about battling through crowds, and of course, best of all,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06it actually gets carried straight into the house.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09Now, an awful lot of people reckon that that convenience is
0:32:09 > 0:32:12worth paying just a little bit extra for.
0:32:12 > 0:32:17But for others it's not convenience at all, it's a practical necessity.
0:32:19 > 0:32:2264-year-old Dave Rosam from Winchester has relied
0:32:22 > 0:32:25heavily on his weekly online shop from Tesco.
0:32:28 > 0:32:33Dave was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma over 30 years ago.
0:32:33 > 0:32:34- Dave.- Hello. Come in.
0:32:35 > 0:32:40And the condition has had a lasting impact on his health and mobility.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44I get tired very easy, which is the main problem.
0:32:44 > 0:32:49I do have a back problem which I tend to use a stick, I don't
0:32:49 > 0:32:53need to, but it does take the pressure off the back and the pain.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57How convenient has it been to have your shopping delivered here?
0:32:57 > 0:32:58Very convenient.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02It saves me time, it saves me petrol money,
0:33:02 > 0:33:07and also I can think more about what I'm ordering.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09I think it's a great service.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14Or at least, he did, until a change in Tesco's policy led him
0:33:14 > 0:33:16to write to us.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19The store's online shopping service used to have a minimum
0:33:19 > 0:33:23spend of £25, a comfortable amount for Dave to spend.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27Any less than that and you'd incur a £4 surcharge.
0:33:27 > 0:33:28But in July 2015,
0:33:28 > 0:33:32Tesco started applying that £4 surcharge to shopping that
0:33:32 > 0:33:37came to less than £40, leaving Dave, and others like him,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39with a stark choice.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43Pay an extra £4 with no more groceries to show for it, or, to
0:33:43 > 0:33:44avoid the surcharge,
0:33:44 > 0:33:48spend an extra £15 a week on food he simply doesn't need.
0:33:49 > 0:33:55I don't get angry very easy, but I think I was angry.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59Not just for myself, there are a lot of people out there
0:34:01 > 0:34:07who are less fit than me, older than me, who it will hit more.
0:34:07 > 0:34:13Who don't spend £40 a week on shopping by any means.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17- Was £40 more than you would ever consider spending in a week?- Yes.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21- It's quite a chunk out of my income. - It's another £15 every time.- Yes.
0:34:21 > 0:34:29I'm just on state pension. And that is quite a considerable sum.
0:34:29 > 0:34:35I could, if required, arrange it so that I only had it every two weeks.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40But then you've got things like the fresh produce.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44They're not going to last me two weeks. Without going off.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Dave hasn't got the freezer space for the surplus food that
0:34:48 > 0:34:51he'd need to buy to escape the surcharge.
0:34:51 > 0:34:56But in any case, for him, it's not about storage, but affordability.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59So what did you decide to do when you thought, no,
0:34:59 > 0:35:02I can't afford that extra £15 a week?
0:35:02 > 0:35:07I decided that, one, I'm not boycotting Tesco.
0:35:07 > 0:35:12I now do any online shopping that I want to do with ASDA.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17But that seems likely to be a short-term solution.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21Though ASDA currently has a minimum spend of £25,
0:35:21 > 0:35:25it's trialling a scheme to increase that to £40 in some areas.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28Shopping baskets below this minimum amount wouldn't be
0:35:28 > 0:35:30eligible for delivery at all.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34And when we checked the policies of the other supermarkets,
0:35:34 > 0:35:36it was clear that the change in Tesco's policies,
0:35:36 > 0:35:39without which the store has said its online service would just
0:35:39 > 0:35:43not be viable, is simply bringing it into line with its rivals.
0:35:43 > 0:35:48Already, Morrisons won't deliver if your shopping costs less than £40.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50And although Sainsbury's will,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53you may have to pay a higher delivery charge.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57Meanwhile, Waitrose has a minimum online spend of £60.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59Beneath that, it too won't deliver.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06200 miles away from Dave, in Pembrokeshire, lives 30-year-old
0:36:06 > 0:36:10Jessica, who's another person to contact us on the same point.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12She has cerebral palsy,
0:36:12 > 0:36:15and finds online shopping deliveries are vital.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17Sometimes even the simplest of activities,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20like going shopping, can actually be quite hard work.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23The supermarket delivery service means that
0:36:23 > 0:36:27I can have my food effectively delivered to my front door.
0:36:28 > 0:36:33Before Tesco introduced its £4 surcharge on shopping under £40,
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Jessica used to make a couple of orders each week,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39to avoid problems of trying to pick up fresh produce in store.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44Having the shopping delivered to the front door,
0:36:44 > 0:36:46you haven't got to worry, what if I go somewhere
0:36:46 > 0:36:49and I can't reach the items on the shelves,
0:36:49 > 0:36:53or I can't pick up half of the items that I want to
0:36:53 > 0:36:56put in the trolley, cos they can be quite heavy.
0:36:56 > 0:37:01But now that Tesco's minimum spend has gone up to £40,
0:37:01 > 0:37:05Jessica only uses the online service every two to three weeks.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08Which means in between, at least twice a week,
0:37:08 > 0:37:11she makes the trip to her local convenience store to pick up
0:37:11 > 0:37:14all her fresh foods, and that can be difficult.
0:37:14 > 0:37:19If I've got to ask for help with reaching something, or picking
0:37:19 > 0:37:23up an item that I want to buy, you know, it can be a bit embarrassing.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25Because I'm one of these people,
0:37:25 > 0:37:28I like to focus on what I can do rather than what I cannot do.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31I would much rather just find a way of doing it myself,
0:37:31 > 0:37:35and for me that is generally getting it delivered online cos it
0:37:35 > 0:37:36takes that hassle away.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40Thank you very much.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42How are you? No, I've got a bag, actually.
0:37:42 > 0:37:47As with Dave, for Jessica, this is about more than convenience.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50She'd find it hard to justify paying the extra £4 that her shop
0:37:50 > 0:37:53will cost under Tesco's new rules.
0:37:53 > 0:37:58I've recently been made redundant from working full-time.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01I do have to be more conscious of what I'm spending and where I'm
0:38:01 > 0:38:07spending it, cos if I was to blow my whole week's benefit on food,
0:38:07 > 0:38:11I then perhaps wouldn't have money to pay the bills.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14Disability charity Scope has concerns that people
0:38:14 > 0:38:19like Jessica are being priced out of a service that they really need.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23Disabled people are more likely than non-disabled people to do their
0:38:23 > 0:38:27shopping online, and very often that's out of necessity rather than
0:38:27 > 0:38:31desire, because local shops might not be accessible to them.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35What this increase might mean is that they won't be able to do
0:38:35 > 0:38:37that weekly shop online.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41But you can understand the supermarkets' position as well.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45The cost of running an online shopping service really adds up,
0:38:45 > 0:38:47with many making losses as a result.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50The big four retailers aren't making huge profits from online,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53because there are massive costs associated with running these
0:38:53 > 0:38:56businesses. You have to have distribution centres
0:38:56 > 0:38:59and you have to have a lot of picking in stores.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02And then you have to have somebody driving delivery lorries
0:39:02 > 0:39:05and delivery vans, and half the time those delivery vans are empty,
0:39:05 > 0:39:08of course, because they're going back to the depot.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10So all those costs have to be borne,
0:39:10 > 0:39:14and as a result it's very difficult to make a profit in this area.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18If it's costing between £15 and £25 to pick an order, somebody who
0:39:18 > 0:39:22purchases £30 of product is not a valuable customer to the retailer.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24And as a consequence what retailers are doing,
0:39:24 > 0:39:28they're having to increase the minimum spend to cover those costs.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31All of which makes perfect business sense,
0:39:31 > 0:39:34but when the average cost of a weekly shop for a single person
0:39:34 > 0:39:37under retirement age is around £30 a week,
0:39:37 > 0:39:41minimum spends of £40 or more do raise the question of
0:39:41 > 0:39:43whether online shopping is becoming less
0:39:43 > 0:39:48practical for some of the people who might most benefit from using it.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52When we asked the supermarkets if they felt that their online shopping
0:39:52 > 0:39:55charges meet the needs of more vulnerable customers,
0:39:55 > 0:40:00they were keen to stress that there are ways of keeping the costs down.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04Morrisons, Sainsbury's and ASDA each told us that their charges
0:40:04 > 0:40:08start at as little as £1, depending on the time and the day.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11And regular customers can reduce costs further through
0:40:11 > 0:40:13buying their...
0:40:13 > 0:40:16And while it's not quite as convenient as home delivery,
0:40:16 > 0:40:20some stores also pointed out that there's a lower minimum spend
0:40:20 > 0:40:23if you use their click and collect and service.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26Waitrose didn't comment directly on costs,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29but said it's continually looking at ways of responding to the
0:40:29 > 0:40:33needs of customers, highlighting a scheme to raise the alarm
0:40:33 > 0:40:37if an elderly or vulnerable person doesn't always answer the door.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40And when we spoke to Tesco about Dave and Jessica's case,
0:40:40 > 0:40:44it told us that it had to introduce a minimum basket spend,
0:40:44 > 0:40:47or it simply wouldn't be able to provide a...
0:40:50 > 0:40:53Tesco said that it had a range of offers to make online
0:40:53 > 0:40:57shopping cheaper, including its Delivery Saver scheme,
0:40:57 > 0:41:00which the supermarket said had proved popular.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04But, whatever the delivery price,
0:41:04 > 0:41:08that minimum £40 spend remains an issue for Jessica,
0:41:08 > 0:41:11who's frustrated that it limits how often
0:41:11 > 0:41:15she uses a service that makes shopping so much easier for her.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17I don't mind asking for help,
0:41:17 > 0:41:21but I'm so independent that I want to be able to manage it myself.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24So being able just to click a few buttons and say I want this,
0:41:24 > 0:41:26this, just gives me that independence.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29There's enough times in your life that you have to admit defeat
0:41:29 > 0:41:32and say that you need help with stuff, and being able to say
0:41:32 > 0:41:34that you can do your shopping independently is just really good.
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0:42:15 > 0:42:16Well, of course it's oh
0:42:16 > 0:42:20so easy to be dazzled by the array of special offers and deals
0:42:20 > 0:42:24with which we've confronted every time we go into a supermarket.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26But, as with any kind of shopping,
0:42:26 > 0:42:28you do sometimes just need to keep your wits about you a bit,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31however much you might just want to get in
0:42:31 > 0:42:34and get out of the store as quickly as possible.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37Because, well, as we've seen, not everything is necessarily
0:42:37 > 0:42:40quite as good a deal as it might at first appear.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42But while life's too short, I think,
0:42:42 > 0:42:45to do a full-on price comparison every time you're
0:42:45 > 0:42:46planning your weekly shop,
0:42:46 > 0:42:49the occasional check on which stores are offering the best prices
0:42:49 > 0:42:53really can pay dividends when it comes to getting value for money.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57We're often incredibly loyal to our favourite supermarket,
0:42:57 > 0:43:00and that could mean we're missing out on better prices elsewhere.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03Well, I must confess, I sometimes quite enjoy going to the
0:43:03 > 0:43:06supermarket and having a good old rummage and a pry around.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09And by and large, I think that all that rivalry between the big
0:43:09 > 0:43:12names probably does help you keep the prices down.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15But let us know if there's anything about your food shopping that's
0:43:15 > 0:43:18left you feeling, I don't know, bamboozled or even short-changed.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21And we'll continue to keep the supermarkets on their toes.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24But I'm afraid that's where we have to leave it at this point.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26Clearly we look forward to your company again very soon.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29- But from all of us on the team, bye-bye.- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.