0:00:02 > 0:00:04Food. It's big business. Now, each year,
0:00:04 > 0:00:08we spend something like £5,000 per household on food and drink.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10So the competition for your pound is tough.
0:00:10 > 0:00:16We'll leave no shelf untouched in our quest to champion you,
0:00:16 > 0:00:17the weekly shopper.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20This is a series in which we'll expose the hidden rip-offs
0:00:20 > 0:00:23and let you in on the tricks of the food trade.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28And, most importantly, we'll show you how to be a smart shopper.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Welcome to Rip Off Food.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Today we're checking out supermarkets.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51We're going hi-tech to show you how they can influence
0:00:51 > 0:00:53what we buy without us even knowing it.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57You actually can put stuff in the trolley with no mental recollection of doing it. It's habit.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01How the packaging on some of your purchases could leave you wanting more.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05- Oh, my goodness, it's a third full.- Absolutely.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09And how Britain's dairy farmers believe they are being milked for all they've got.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12We cannot wear these price cuts
0:01:12 > 0:01:15and it's literally driving farmers out of business.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25The UK grocery market is worth over £150 billion
0:01:25 > 0:01:28and it's dominated by the supermarkets
0:01:28 > 0:01:31where 82% of that money is spent.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36Now, around a third of the products displayed are special offers.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39But what you may not realise
0:01:39 > 0:01:42is that some special offers are not that special.
0:01:49 > 0:01:55In these times of austerity, a discount will always attract our attention.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58So when supermarkets put products on special offer
0:01:58 > 0:02:02it's only right that most customers take it for granted
0:02:02 > 0:02:04that there is a bargain to be had.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07- We're suckers for it, aren't we? - We are, yeah.- Yeah.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Every time I go shopping, I'll look for what's on offer
0:02:10 > 0:02:12and that kind of influences what I buy really.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Yup, anything you can get better value for.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17I've no loyalty to any particular brands.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21You sometimes find that the price is really exaggerated
0:02:21 > 0:02:24so the special offer is actually the normal price.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28I'm always very cautious cos I don't know why it's a special offer,
0:02:28 > 0:02:29what makes it cheaper now.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33I'm always looking for a low price but if there's buy-one-get-one-free then defiantly, yeah.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38A recent survey by consumer champion Which?
0:02:38 > 0:02:45followed the fluctuations of almost a quarter of a million prices at supermarkets around the UK
0:02:45 > 0:02:48between January 2011 and February 2012.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51They described what they found as "dodgy pricing tactics"
0:02:51 > 0:02:55because some of the special offers weren't what they appeared.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58The supermarkets would like us to believe we are all getting a bargain
0:02:58 > 0:03:02but if you look behind the prices, if you look at the details,
0:03:02 > 0:03:06watch out, you might not be getting the special offer that you thought you were.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10This is happening even though government introduced
0:03:10 > 0:03:14a Pricing Practices Guide in 2010 to stop consumers being
0:03:14 > 0:03:17misled by special promotions.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22The guideline states that a product can only go on special offer
0:03:22 > 0:03:26if the price has remained the same for 28 days before being reduced.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32But Which? found that in some cases these rules weren't being followed.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35A trick that came up time and time again
0:03:35 > 0:03:37is the price of a product being whacked up
0:03:37 > 0:03:39just before it was put on special offer.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42So it looks like your saving a big deal on the previous price.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46Actually that was roughly the price you would have paid a few weeks ago anyway.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48Not so special.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52One example the survey highlighted was a so-called special offer
0:03:52 > 0:03:56on strawberries by online supermarket Ocado.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02The fact is that the price of the strawberries had been increased
0:04:02 > 0:04:06by 49p for less than two weeks before it was reduced
0:04:06 > 0:04:08and then put on special offer.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Clearly against the guidelines.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16And then the special offer lasted for nearly three months.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Well, I don't think that's playing by the rules, do you?
0:04:19 > 0:04:22The special offer price running on and on and on for weeks if not months.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25It's not special if it's the price that
0:04:25 > 0:04:28it's on display for week after week after week.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Another example highlighted
0:04:32 > 0:04:37was an ASDA multibuy offer of ten Muller yoghurts for £4.
0:04:37 > 0:04:38That's 40p a pot.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42While a single pot cost 61p.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44So it seemed a good offer.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49But directly before and after the multibuy offer period,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52a single pot of Muller yoghurt cost only 30p -
0:04:52 > 0:04:56which would have meant that ten pots cost £3.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Not such a bargain multibuy offer after all.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04They blame human error but really it's just incredible
0:05:04 > 0:05:08to believe that across these hundreds of thousands of examples
0:05:08 > 0:05:12it's simply down to individuals getting it wrong.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16This looks systematic to us across lots of supermarkets.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18They now need to clean their act up.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21If they won't, then it's time for the government to step in,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24toughen up the rules and properly enforce them.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Otherwise it's consumers that will foot the bill, yet again.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Ocado told us that they are committed to providing clear
0:05:30 > 0:05:34and accurate information and that regrettably on this one
0:05:34 > 0:05:37isolated occasion this specific promotion did not explain
0:05:37 > 0:05:40their offer in the required detail.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43They are committed to ensuring this doesn't happen again
0:05:43 > 0:05:48and will continue to heavily monitor their processes accordingly.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53We contacted ASDA who said that this was a rare instance of human error
0:05:53 > 0:05:57and this year they will move from a manual to an automated system.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59They added that meanwhile in May
0:05:59 > 0:06:01they implemented a new checking procedure
0:06:01 > 0:06:04across the entire ASDA grocery website
0:06:04 > 0:06:08to ensure all price cuts are triple checked before they appear online
0:06:08 > 0:06:12and appointed an independent audit team to monitor
0:06:12 > 0:06:16the prices displayed to spot and remove any pricing errors.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Supermarkets use special offers to tempt us into their stores.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28And when it comes to staple products like milk
0:06:28 > 0:06:31they constantly compete to offer the cheapest pinta.
0:06:31 > 0:06:37But is it Britain's dairy farmers who are actually paying the price for cheap supermarket milk?
0:06:46 > 0:06:48The dairy farming industry is in crisis.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53Since the year 2000, nearly half of Britain's dairy farms have disappeared,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56most because they just couldn't make the business pay.
0:06:56 > 0:07:02Supermarkets have a huge impact on the price of food produced in this country
0:07:02 > 0:07:06and nowhere is this more keenly felt than amongst the dairy farmers.
0:07:15 > 0:07:23In Somerset, Neil Darwent has herd of 350 cows producing three million litres of milk a year.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Fluctuations in the price he's paid per litre has a huge impact.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31Our milk prices recently have been cut
0:07:31 > 0:07:34from around about 28.5p a litre to just over 27p per litre.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38Now that 1.5p per litre price cut might not seems a lot
0:07:38 > 0:07:42but it actually means that's £30,000 off our income in a year.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47When we spoke to him in June 2012 he told us he was being
0:07:47 > 0:07:52paid 27p a litre but it cost 30p a litre to produce the milk.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57And at the same time production costs are rising.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00The key inputs that you need to run a farm like the food,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04the labour, fuel to run the machinery, are all going up
0:08:04 > 0:08:07and that would affect a lot of other businesses as well as farming.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11The problem for us is there's only so much we can do
0:08:11 > 0:08:13to counter that in our business.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17The milk is sold to a processor,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20the middle man between dairy farmers and supermarkets.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22At the moment we're sending
0:08:22 > 0:08:26something like 7,000 litres of milk a day off
0:08:26 > 0:08:31and that goes off to one of the major processors and the processors
0:08:31 > 0:08:33are the people who take our milk, pasteurise it, maybe bottle it
0:08:33 > 0:08:36maybe change it into something else like cheese or yoghurt.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Whether his daily batch of milk ends up in supermarkets
0:08:40 > 0:08:41or with food manufacturers,
0:08:41 > 0:08:46Neil believes that it's the supermarket's push for profit
0:08:46 > 0:08:48that is driving down milk prices.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52The supermarkets are enjoying a really healthy return on their milk sales.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55A little over a year ago they were enjoying a margin of 22p a litre
0:08:55 > 0:08:58for every litre of liquid milk that they sold,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01whilst processors were making 2p to 3p a litre margin
0:09:01 > 0:09:03and farmers were losing 2p to 3p.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07What's happening now is that in an attempt to woo customers with cheap food,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10supermarkets are cutting retail prices
0:09:10 > 0:09:13but they are still trying to maintain their margins
0:09:13 > 0:09:16by effectively keeping the price squeezed at the bottom end.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20And it's this assessment of the market that has caught
0:09:20 > 0:09:23the imagination and support of politicians and celebrities
0:09:23 > 0:09:26who are backing the dairy farmers' campaign for a better deal.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31Tim Farron is MP for Cumbria - a major dairy faming area.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34Well, the figures obviously fluctuate
0:09:34 > 0:09:38but we know the supermarket's mark up, in other words the profit
0:09:38 > 0:09:42that supermarkets make from milk, has roughly tripled over the last decade
0:09:42 > 0:09:44and we know that the price that farmers receive,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47certainly any profit that they ever receive,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51has either stayed the same or decreased.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56Neil and his fellow farmers' demands appear modest.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59We're producing a good healthy food product here.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05I think that we have to see prices of milk go up in store
0:10:05 > 0:10:09but it is again about the retailer sharing some of that reward
0:10:09 > 0:10:11they are getting with farmers.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15I don't think we need to double the price or ask for a huge increase in price of our milk,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17we just need a fairer share of the pie.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21So I'm going to meet Andrew Opie of the British Retail Consortium,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24which represents the major UK supermarkets,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27to find out what's gone wrong.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Why is this phrase "cheap milk" just so vital to the supermarket?
0:10:31 > 0:10:34See, milk is definitely one of the staples.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36We all know milk, bread, eggs, for example.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38The things that we buy very regularly
0:10:38 > 0:10:41and we sort of keep an eye on what the price is.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45It's a good indicator of the general standard of value
0:10:45 > 0:10:47that a retailer can offer you. So what we're looking to do
0:10:47 > 0:10:50is get people into the store and when they're in there looking at milk
0:10:50 > 0:10:53and buying their milk, they'll buy all their other groceries.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57OK, you're happy. The consumer's definitely happy.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Sadly, it's the farmer that's not happy at the moment.
0:11:00 > 0:11:01There are so many farmers
0:11:01 > 0:11:04who are genuinely worried about having to sell their farms,
0:11:04 > 0:11:06give up their herds and change businesses.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09So, you're going to have to help me here
0:11:09 > 0:11:11by trying to nail it as to what the problem is.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14The problem is other companies and the government
0:11:14 > 0:11:16and all the other buyers of milk other than supermarkets
0:11:16 > 0:11:18need to follow the lead of the supermarkets.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22- So what is the lead? Spell out the lead.- The lead is to work with your processor.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25So if you're buying a lot of milk like the government does,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28for example for prisons and hospitals and schools et cetera,
0:11:28 > 0:11:33do a proper deal with a processors that specifies the price that you'll pay to your dairy farmers
0:11:33 > 0:11:37and make sure therefore that a sustainable price gets to the dairy framers.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40- Let's talk a little about the processor.- OK, the processor -
0:11:40 > 0:11:42that's where the debate needs to be.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46The processor and the dairy farmer, who's in it for a sustainable future?
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Because we are, we're in it for a long term future.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52Are the processors in the same place that we are with their farmers?
0:11:52 > 0:11:55- And are they?- Well, you need to ask that then, Gloria?
0:11:55 > 0:11:57You know the business, are they or...?
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Well, I think they need to look at what they're doing.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02We can put our own house in order,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05we're not going to lecture other people but what we will do is
0:12:05 > 0:12:08we will say we blazed the trail in trying to get progressive,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12sustainable supply chains. If we can do it, why can't others?
0:12:12 > 0:12:15So are you now telling me that the farmer shouldn't at all be rankled
0:12:15 > 0:12:18with you, the retailer, at all, it should be just the processor?
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Yeah, it's not us, not the supermarkets this time.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25We sorted our house out and other people need to follow us.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29But Tim Farron is not convinced.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33They are clearly the villains of this piece.
0:12:33 > 0:12:39The supermarkets are saying they, in their direct contract with farmers, pay a fair price.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44That's broadly at least sometimes true but there are very few...
0:12:44 > 0:12:49A small percentage of milk produced in this country is sold directly farmer to supermarket.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53The overwhelming majority of milk is sold through the processors.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56And so of course the supermarket is saying blame the processors
0:12:56 > 0:12:59but then who do you think the processors sell the milk to?
0:12:59 > 0:13:01They sell it to the supermarkets
0:13:01 > 0:13:04and the supermarkets say what price it expects to pay
0:13:04 > 0:13:06so of course the supermarkets are to blame
0:13:06 > 0:13:09and their hands are dirty in this particular case,
0:13:09 > 0:13:10as are the processors,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14but it's simply a case of a system of very powerful supermarkets,
0:13:14 > 0:13:16a handful of very powerful processors
0:13:16 > 0:13:19and thousands of dairy farmers who are exploited.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23And the supermarkets need to confess their part in all this
0:13:23 > 0:13:25and help contribute to making it better.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30We asked Dairy UK, which represent the processors, to comment.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34They said, "Dairy processors have not created this difficult situation
0:13:34 > 0:13:38"for farmers which has arisen because dairy markets have fallen
0:13:38 > 0:13:41"because too much milk has been produced relative to the demand globally."
0:13:41 > 0:13:45They added that dairy product markets are now much more
0:13:45 > 0:13:49volatile than before but lower milk production will generate
0:13:49 > 0:13:53higher market returns and farmers will reap the benefit of this.
0:13:53 > 0:13:58By October 2012, commodity prices had started to rise.
0:13:58 > 0:14:03Major processors such as Wiseman increased payments per litre
0:14:03 > 0:14:05to the farmers who supply them with milk directly
0:14:08 > 0:14:11It's a great shame that supermarkets don't value our farmers
0:14:11 > 0:14:14and that's why politicians should step in and regulate.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17One of the good news stories on the near horizon
0:14:17 > 0:14:19is that the government are doing just that
0:14:19 > 0:14:23and the Grocery Code Adjudicator will be on the statue book this year
0:14:23 > 0:14:25and it must have the teeth to make sure the supermarkets
0:14:25 > 0:14:28and the processors are not allowed to get away with this in the future.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32The Grocery Adjudicator, a supermarket watchdog,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35will address the market dominance of the big retailers
0:14:35 > 0:14:38and ensure suppliers are treated fairly and lawfully.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43By autumn pressure from farmers appeared to be getting results.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Many supermarkets have raised the milk prices
0:14:45 > 0:14:48they pay to their dedicated pools of dairy farmers.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53But Neil claims that the rises simply reinstate prices
0:14:53 > 0:14:56farmers were paid before the price cuts in spring.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Every concession has been fought for by farmers like Neil
0:15:00 > 0:15:07but he fears that rising feed costs will put dairy farmers under huge pressure over the winter
0:15:07 > 0:15:10and could still drive them out of business.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13If we don't start to safeguard our domestic dairy industry,
0:15:13 > 0:15:17we are going to have to throw ourselves upon the global market
0:15:17 > 0:15:19and we will have no dairy farmers left in the UK.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23We'll import milk, cheese, yoghurt whatever it is
0:15:23 > 0:15:25and we'll have to hope that that milk is coming from farms
0:15:25 > 0:15:29that adhere to the same sort of welfare and quality standards
0:15:29 > 0:15:31that we are required to in the UK.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34We might be able to get food cheaper from overseas
0:15:34 > 0:15:36but we really don't know what we're eating or where it came from
0:15:36 > 0:15:39and certainly we don't know how it was produced.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Now, when you're out doing your shopping,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51have you ever noticed how some things have more packaging around them
0:15:51 > 0:15:53compared to what's actually inside?
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Over a third of the packaging found in a typical shopping basket
0:16:05 > 0:16:06can't be recycled.
0:16:06 > 0:16:12Much of the food we buy has layers of wrapping that go straight in the bin.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14So could manufacturers improve on this?
0:16:14 > 0:16:19And in the process make the size of the actual contents obvious at a glance?
0:16:21 > 0:16:24I'm meeting Mark Shayler who has 18 years of design experience
0:16:24 > 0:16:27in improving product packaging.
0:16:29 > 0:16:30I have to tell you, as a consumer,
0:16:30 > 0:16:34I get so frustrated by layer after layer after layer of paper.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Particularly when you buy something in a cardboard box.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40It seems to be this size and the box is this size.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43- So you must come across that all the time.- All the time.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45We see it as an issue that is absolutely huge
0:16:45 > 0:16:48and in reality we've got a lot better at it
0:16:48 > 0:16:50but there's still some things to do.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52If I'm being really honest,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55there are times if I'm buying something for somebody else
0:16:55 > 0:16:58and I think, "Gosh, that looks really good in all that packaging,"
0:16:58 > 0:17:00so I'm a bit of a sucker for it sometimes.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03We talk about different occasions, different opening occasions
0:17:03 > 0:17:08and Apple have made a whole science of the seven-second reveal of the iPhone.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11When you pull the box apart there's a little bit of suction
0:17:11 > 0:17:13and that's part of the pleasure of the product
0:17:13 > 0:17:16but for everyday products, maybe we're not really interested
0:17:16 > 0:17:20in the seven-second reveal when we just want to open a can of sardines.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24You can only talk about it for so long. We've got to look at out shopping.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26This is going to be a good lesson for me in packaging.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29We've got a box of chocolate treats here.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32- Open the clip and straightaway... - Oh, it's only half full.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36Well, you're managing disappointment there, aren't you? That's not really good enough.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40We can drop the size of this appropriately to the weight of the product.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43The irony of course is they taste great.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46And they smell good too.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49When we contacted Gu
0:17:49 > 0:17:53they said that their packaging gives a clear indication of the weight of the product
0:17:53 > 0:17:56and they pride themselves on the honesty and integrity
0:17:56 > 0:17:59of their ingredients and manufacturing process.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02- So what's next? - Two different products.
0:18:02 > 0:18:03Both exactly the same.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Yeah, you'd say they were exactly the same.
0:18:05 > 0:18:11When you look really closely, this one's only got 750ml in,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14whereas this one has got a litre in.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18Oh, and actually now that I look at it further, this one seems slightly narrower.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20There's quite a difference then between those.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Absolutely but there's nothing legally wrong
0:18:24 > 0:18:26because they explained how much is in there.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Both great products, all of that kind of stuff
0:18:29 > 0:18:31but, at first look you think, hang on a minute.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33- Value wise. - They're both the same.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Innocent told us that they don't agree that a consumer
0:18:38 > 0:18:42might mistake the size of the carton at a glance for a litre one
0:18:42 > 0:18:46because their 750ml carton is significantly narrower
0:18:46 > 0:18:52and the height must then remain the same to ensure that the carton can fit on retailer shelves
0:18:52 > 0:18:54which are all set to fit one-litre cartons.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59They also make sure the front clearly tells the consumer
0:18:59 > 0:19:01exactly the size they are choosing.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Other examples. This is a really interesting one.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11I was struck by the fact that the bag felt half full.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13When you open them up, straightaway.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15Oh, my goodness, it's, like, a third full.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18- Yeah, absolutely. - That is ridiculous.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21And, interestingly, it's an aluminium foil as well.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24It's used to stop sunlight coming through which then stops
0:19:24 > 0:19:28- a product becoming rancid. - Yeah, it's good for preservation.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33It's great but you don't need it on the outer, because inside
0:19:33 > 0:19:37you've then got five packs that are all aluminium foiled anyway.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40I'm going to open this one. What I do get in my yoghurty thing
0:19:40 > 0:19:44is a packet that's barely a third full of anything.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Absolutely and I can't see a reason for it.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Now are there any legal rules and regulations
0:19:50 > 0:19:56about maybe misleading in terms of the yoghurty sweets or any of it?
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Every single one has labelled correctly.
0:19:59 > 0:20:05So even the yoghurt ones it says 5 x 25 grams, however,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07it's written really small, very near the seal,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10it's not the thing that leaps out at you.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12The thing that leaps out at you is the brand.
0:20:12 > 0:20:13And the size of the bag.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16- Exactly, yeah. - So that the other message.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19If you want to shop really wisely, you've got to read the labels carefully.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21But the labels could be much easier to read.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Now that's another story.
0:20:25 > 0:20:31The manufacturers of Yu Fruit told us that the description of the contents
0:20:31 > 0:20:33is clear and easy for a consumer to locate.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36They also said that all of their products are designed
0:20:36 > 0:20:39for snacking and eating on the go - hence the need to use
0:20:39 > 0:20:41aluminium foil for each individual pack.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45They said that if they could use alternative packaging
0:20:45 > 0:20:49without compromising on quality they would certainly do so.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52And this is something they will continuously evaluate.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Now over-sized packaging is one thing
0:20:59 > 0:21:03but what if the packet stays the same but the contents shrink?
0:21:03 > 0:21:06And then if the price stays the same, that's a shocker.
0:21:07 > 0:21:12In March 2012, Which? reported that over the last year
0:21:12 > 0:21:14certain products had reduced in size.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18Here are some examples. We've got Branston Pickle.
0:21:18 > 0:21:25Now this was a 405g jar before, it's now 360g.
0:21:25 > 0:21:31That's a 45g reduction and it's on sale for exactly the same price.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33That's 12% less for the same price.
0:21:33 > 0:21:39So does the new bottle look noticeably smaller?
0:21:39 > 0:21:42In terms of size? No. They look relatively similar.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46Slight packaging difference but apart from that I don't see much.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Different calorie count but I can't see what...
0:21:49 > 0:21:51I can't see any difference.
0:21:51 > 0:21:52The size?
0:21:52 > 0:21:59Oh, yeah - that one is a little bit smaller 360g as opposed to 405g.
0:21:59 > 0:22:05That's inflation, isn't it? That's pulling the wool over people's eyes.
0:22:05 > 0:22:06Cheeky!
0:22:06 > 0:22:11And they found products that shrank where the price had gone up.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Here's another example of Birds Eye Crispy Chicken.
0:22:14 > 0:22:20This was 360g, it's now down to 340g.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25It was on special offer for £2, now at this smaller weight
0:22:25 > 0:22:34it's on sale for £3.85 so we got 20g less for nearly £1.85 more.
0:22:34 > 0:22:40In fact, the only thing that hadn't changed was the size of the box.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42I think if they decrease the size
0:22:42 > 0:22:45and keep the box the same size then that's pretty deceptive actually.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48Part of the reason I don't buy things like this is because I can't see
0:22:48 > 0:22:52what the size is so I would rather buy something where I see it clearly.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55I think that's a little bit out of order.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58People go for their brand because they remember the picture and stuff
0:22:58 > 0:23:00and they don't necessarily look at the grams and such.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05It's not value for money especially if prices continue to go up as well.
0:23:05 > 0:23:12Blackcurrant jam, used to be a 454g jar, it's now 400g jar.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16That's an eighth smaller and it's exactly the same price,
0:23:16 > 0:23:22so you're paying the same money for a jar that's 54g less in weight.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26So we asked the food manufacturers to comment.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30Streamline said that it was part of a re-design and re-launch strategy
0:23:30 > 0:23:33and an alternative to a price increase
0:23:33 > 0:23:37in the face of huge increase in raw material costs.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42They also said that, historically, jams were sold in pound jars, 454g,
0:23:42 > 0:23:46however many consumers felt these were too large.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Birds Eye said that they are facing steep rises in commodity prices
0:23:50 > 0:23:54and have made a small reduction in the weight
0:23:54 > 0:23:57of their Crispy Chicken in order to keep prices low.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Whilst it's retailers that set prices in store,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03they are working closely with them to devise promotions
0:24:03 > 0:24:06that will benefit their consumers and offer value for money.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12Branston Pickle told us they would prefer not to comment.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18Now, here's a question.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Are we shoppers always the free agents we think we are?
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Do supermarkets encourage us to spend
0:24:23 > 0:24:26by diverting our attention in subtle ways that we may not notice?
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Observing shoppers behaviour is now a science
0:24:37 > 0:24:39and Philip Adcock has spent 20 years
0:24:39 > 0:24:43analysing the habits of consumers in 17 different countries.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Once in a supermarket people take in
0:24:47 > 0:24:50and act on information at a subconscious level.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55The experience of shopping in a supermarket has become quite simply overwhelming.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58We have 50,000 products to choose from
0:24:58 > 0:25:00and our brains aren't wired to make those sorts of decisions.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03So that leads to what we term brain overload.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05We make irrational guesses instead of sensible purchasing decisions.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10We asked Philip to carry out a little experiment for us
0:25:10 > 0:25:11up in Scarborough in North Yorkshire.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16We invited a local resident, Sarah Berry who works part time
0:25:16 > 0:25:19and has three children, to let us follow her during a family shop.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25I probably go to the supermarket about two or three times a week.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28I spend £80-100 on a bigger shop
0:25:28 > 0:25:32but maybe a couple of times a week it'll be more like £30-40.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36What we're going to do today is ask you to take part in an experiment.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39I'm going to ask you to wear these glasses and go round and do your normal shopping.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44- What we're looking for is to see exactly what you look at when you're shopping in this store.- OK.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48By using these intriguing glasses to track eye movements,
0:25:48 > 0:25:53Philip and his team can see what really influences Sarah's purchases.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Off you go, have a normal shop.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58- OK, thank you, see you later. - See you later.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Near the entrance is a wide aisle which encourages the shopper to
0:26:08 > 0:26:12slow down, acclimatize and let our eyes adjust to the light.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19A common tactic is to place the first special offer right in the middle of this zone.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21And Sarah responds.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25More and more purchasing gets done as what we call single scripted behaviour.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28That's acting on auto pilot. Like driving a car, shaking hands.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31You have products that you take an interest in and buy.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33You actually put stuff in the trolley
0:26:33 > 0:26:37with no mental recollection of doing it. It's habit.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Fruit and veg are often located quite near the entrance
0:26:40 > 0:26:43because gives a fresh healthy feel-good impression.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49Then Sarah sweeps down the chiller section where there's a huge array of yoghurts.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Sometimes you get a bit, "Oh, which one?" when there are so many to choose from
0:26:54 > 0:26:57and that's when sometimes you do just grab what's in front of you
0:26:57 > 0:27:00cos you're not always shopping without the children.
0:27:00 > 0:27:05So that made it a bit easier and maybe looked a bit longer than I would have done normally.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11The more she shops, the further round the store she goes,
0:27:11 > 0:27:13the more she'll get into automatic shopping mode,
0:27:13 > 0:27:15and the more things she'll buy irrationally.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19She'll start responding to brand names, brand logos, special offers.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23Supermarkets typically have what's known as a power aisle
0:27:23 > 0:27:27which is the busiest along the central spine of the store.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30The aisles which branch off have special offer displays
0:27:30 > 0:27:32located at the ends.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38These signal a really important offer making a shopper stop and look.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Brands will pay extra to secure a place for their products
0:27:41 > 0:27:45in this prominent location. They're called gondola ends.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48What people tend to do is you walk down the main aisle
0:27:48 > 0:27:50and look into the other isles, trying to spot
0:27:50 > 0:27:53something of interest or a brand they recognise that they need.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56They'll go down that isle or just ignore it and walk on.
0:27:56 > 0:28:01There's an old fashioned myth that we blindly go up and down every isle in the supermarket. We don't.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03We pick the ones we need to go up and down and that's it.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Products with high profit margins tend to be placed at eye level
0:28:08 > 0:28:11which immediately attracts the shopper.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15Often basic ranges are less conveniently located.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Shoppers always tend to buy more than they bargain for.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19They'll always say they don't but they do.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21They make impulse purchases.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24We're all tempted by the bar of chocolate the cream cake, the bottle of wine
0:28:24 > 0:28:28and our brain just takes over and gives us an emotional fix.
0:28:28 > 0:28:34After this 40 minutes of shopping around a supermarket, "Oh, I'll have a glass of wine with my partner."
0:28:34 > 0:28:35I recognise that.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39All that's left now is for Sarah to find out how much she's spent.
0:28:39 > 0:28:40£43.79
0:28:40 > 0:28:44Did you buy a few things on the spur of the moment?
0:28:44 > 0:28:49Yeah, I always do. Those big red signs with Special Offer.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54What happens now is we take this footage away and analyse it frame by frame.
0:28:54 > 0:28:59Looking at every single time that crosshair stops on what she was looking at.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02So will Philip's analysis of Sarah's shopping trip show us
0:29:02 > 0:29:06how much we're influenced by supermarket tricks of the trade?
0:29:06 > 0:29:09We'll find out the results shortly.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17As you know, sometimes it's hard to work out the best buy
0:29:17 > 0:29:22when it comes to comparing similar products on supermarket shelves.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25Take fruit and veg for example.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29Are we better buying loose or pre-packaged?
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Which is better value?
0:29:31 > 0:29:34I'd normally go and get them loose and pick the fruit I want.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36If possible, I'd buy them loose.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39You can often find that bagged ones are cheaper.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41Hmm, 50-50, I think.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44I quite like buying it loose. It feels more real to me.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49And are supermarkets really helping us to make the right choice?
0:29:53 > 0:29:58In 2012 Which? carried out a survey of supermarkets across the UK
0:29:58 > 0:30:01and found evidence of inconsistent pricing
0:30:01 > 0:30:04in all the supermarkets they reviewed.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06What we found quite simply
0:30:06 > 0:30:09is that shoppers are completely baffled
0:30:09 > 0:30:11and bewildered by the mess of pricing
0:30:11 > 0:30:13that you find in the supermarket.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17Very often in the fruit and veg department for example
0:30:17 > 0:30:20you'll see products priced by pound, by kilogram,
0:30:20 > 0:30:24products priced individually. You just can't compare to them.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27You can't work out, unless you're a rocket scientist with a computer,
0:30:27 > 0:30:32exactly what you're buying and whether you're getting right deal from the right product.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37For instance if you're buying, say, five loose bananas,
0:30:37 > 0:30:43it may be priced by banana, by kilo or by bag.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45But the comparisons aren't always easy to make
0:30:45 > 0:30:48and that's the quandary of unit pricing.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51Today, we're going to carry out a little shopping experiment.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53We're going to see how difficult it is for some shoppers
0:30:53 > 0:30:57to compare fruit and vegetables which are pre-packed
0:30:57 > 0:30:59with fruit and vegetables which are sold loose.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05To tackle this unit pricing challenge, we've chosen a crack team of shoppers.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10There's a mathematician, PhD student Tom.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Barbara is a grandmother with bags of experience.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17And a number-crunching accountant, Paul.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20I'm meeting them for a coffee to explain their task.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22They're going to buy one fruit and one veg each.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26And by comparing like for like choose the best value on the shelf.
0:31:28 > 0:31:33Barbara, in your case, you're looking for red onions and bananas.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37Tom is looking for Bramley apples and carrots.
0:31:37 > 0:31:43And then Paul is looking for peppers and also plums.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45And to use whatever weighing tools
0:31:45 > 0:31:48but no calculators so you've got to use the old brainbox.
0:31:48 > 0:31:49Absolutely.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54Bit concerned that I can't use my calculator but I'll give it a go.
0:31:56 > 0:32:01The unit pricing survey covered all major supermarkets chains
0:32:01 > 0:32:03but we're heading for the biggest, Tesco,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06just across the road from the cafe.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09Good shopping and I'm about to time your ten minutes as from now.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14By law, retailers have to display both the selling price
0:32:14 > 0:32:19and the cost per unit such as per 100g or per individual item.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22The main point is that it should be unambiguous,
0:32:22 > 0:32:26easily identifiable and clearly legible.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29Ten minutes later, the trio returns.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32They bought six items and had to make calculations
0:32:32 > 0:32:35or weigh products to make comparisons in all cases.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39We'll review three of their purchases.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42Paul, the accountant, of course. Let's look at the peppers.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47There was a choice of loose, packet of four or packet of three so there was some mental arithmetic.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50The loose peppers were 80p each.
0:32:50 > 0:32:55The pack of three at £1.65 works out at 55p a pepper.
0:32:55 > 0:33:01But the bag of four at £2 works out cheapest - that's 50p each.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05What's interesting, if you'd been buying the four loose,
0:33:05 > 0:33:08it would have been £3.20. That's quite a difference in price.
0:33:08 > 0:33:09So a saving of £1.20 -
0:33:09 > 0:33:13as long as you're good at doing sums in your head!
0:33:13 > 0:33:15So, how was it then, Barbara?
0:33:15 > 0:33:17It was fine but it took a little longer
0:33:17 > 0:33:21than I would normally spend buying two items.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23Life's too short, to be honest.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26- Do you think in kilos or pounds?- Pounds.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29To compare loose red onions with bagged,
0:33:29 > 0:33:33Barbara had to find the supermarket scales.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36At 85p a kilo, loose onions are a better buy than the bagged ones
0:33:36 > 0:33:42which at £1.20 a bag works out at £1.71 a kilo.
0:33:42 > 0:33:47And better value than a special offer of two bags for £2.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50That's still £1.43 a kilo.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52I mean, I'm astounded by that.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55Particularity as this is such a basic food.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59I would think most people would go and buy onions on a regular basis
0:33:59 > 0:34:04and if we all spent the time on the scales trying to weigh out our food,
0:34:04 > 0:34:06there would be a massive queue of people
0:34:06 > 0:34:10just putting all their items on the scales trying to work out best value.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13Well, Tom, being the age you are, you would definitely think in kilos.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16Yes, yes. I had to do a few hard sums.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19I think they purposefully make it confusing with the packaged things
0:34:19 > 0:34:24by having an unusual weight like 1.2kg rather than 1kg
0:34:24 > 0:34:27so you can't work out the price per weight very easily.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31A 1.2kg bag of carrots cost a pound
0:34:31 > 0:34:37which a mathematician like Tom could work out to be 83p a kilo.
0:34:37 > 0:34:42And the loose carrots were 78p a kilo - so Tom chose the best value.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48- So you got the cheapest. - Yeah, it wasn't straightforward to work out, I mean,
0:34:48 > 0:34:53I'm doing a maths PhD, so my mental arithmetic's all right
0:34:53 > 0:34:57but you don't have time to do that kind of thing in the supermarket.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00Our crack team got it right but would the average shopper
0:35:00 > 0:35:03bother to spend the time on the weighing and the mental arithmetic?
0:35:05 > 0:35:08I have to say I am very impressed. Our shoppers did extremely well.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11They all managed to buy the cheapest.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15And I think you'll agree that some of the results are pretty staggering.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18The only thing I would say is it took them just under seven minutes
0:35:18 > 0:35:21to buy just two items in the fruit and veg department.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23So come on, supermarkets, sort it out.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27People are telling us at Which? that what they want
0:35:27 > 0:35:30is simply to have the stress and the hassle
0:35:30 > 0:35:33and the sheer bewilderment of pricing removed.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36They want it to be simple easy and quick so that
0:35:36 > 0:35:38when you're in the supermarket with the kids
0:35:38 > 0:35:40under the pressure of time
0:35:40 > 0:35:43you don't have to have a calculator and a database of prices
0:35:43 > 0:35:47to work out whether you're getting the right deal or not.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51We asked Tesco to comment. They said it's an industry-wide issue,
0:35:51 > 0:35:52not unique to Tesco,
0:35:52 > 0:35:55and referred us to the British Retail Consortium statement
0:35:55 > 0:35:57that, "Official figures have recently shown
0:35:57 > 0:36:01"the price of food is helping keep overall inflation down,
0:36:01 > 0:36:06"with competition between the supermarkets playing a big part.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09"Customers aren't fools and have no difficulty finding best value."
0:36:10 > 0:36:14"The law gives shops the option of selling by weight
0:36:14 > 0:36:18"or by unit for products such as pre-packed fruit and vegetables.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20"With some things - eggs, apples, bananas -
0:36:20 > 0:36:26"how many they're getting matters more to customers than the overall weight."
0:36:30 > 0:36:31Now, supermarkets beware,
0:36:31 > 0:36:35if shoppers get fed up of having to weigh and compare the options to get the best value,
0:36:35 > 0:36:37they could end up going to the fruit and veg market
0:36:37 > 0:36:41where there's always a person on hand to weigh your purchases for you.
0:36:47 > 0:36:52Earlier, Sarah Berry took part in a unique shopping experiment
0:36:52 > 0:36:57under the close scrutiny of psychologist Philip Adcock.
0:36:57 > 0:37:02He recorded her eye moments to see what influenced her shopping behaviour.
0:37:02 > 0:37:07Now Sarah's been invited to her own premiere in London's West End.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13I have to tell you for nothing, I've been many things in my time
0:37:13 > 0:37:17but an usherette at cinema I have not. However, all in a good cause
0:37:17 > 0:37:21because Sarah, our lovely shopper, is here. Some popcorn for you.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25- Thank you.- Philip, our shopping behaviour expert, one for you as well.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27Anyway, it's great to see you.
0:37:27 > 0:37:28So, the famous glasses.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31What do you learn by watching somebody through these glasses?
0:37:31 > 0:37:36The first thing is the brain can only process 5% of the information it get from the eyes.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40So, first of all, we can look at all the stuff it's getting that it just can't cope with.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43- Give me an example. - In terms of special offers,
0:37:43 > 0:37:46we see a special offer in the supermarket every one and a half seconds.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49You can't do the maths to work out that special offer that quick,
0:37:49 > 0:37:51so we have to understand where people look,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54what is the information that they can process,
0:37:54 > 0:37:56and what is superfluous and they can't cope with.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59And do you find that that's the norm for the average shopper?
0:37:59 > 0:38:01That we just can't cope with it all,
0:38:01 > 0:38:04the brain can't take it all in, so we just make snap decisions.
0:38:04 > 0:38:05That's the human race.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Our brains are full so we're trying to make all these decisions in the 21st century.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10It's taken us 600 million years to evolve,
0:38:10 > 0:38:13and we've created the supermarket in 120 years.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15We haven't yet evolved to shop in a supermarket.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19Sarah, are you quite irrational when it comes to shopping or are you quite planned?
0:38:19 > 0:38:23Hmm, I try to be planned but I always forget the list that I make
0:38:23 > 0:38:26so you have a plan of the next few days of what meals are going to be.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Do you have to watch the pennies? What's your budget like?
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Yeah, well, tricky. We don't really have a budget.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34Maybe we should do.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36So now you've selected some clips, have you?
0:38:36 > 0:38:39We've got some clips of some interesting behaviour,
0:38:39 > 0:38:41some good ways of looking at your decision making processes
0:38:41 > 0:38:44and what actually attracts your attention in the supermarket.
0:38:44 > 0:38:45I can't wait.
0:38:45 > 0:38:50So here we are, in we go into the shop.
0:38:52 > 0:38:53It's quite a big open area.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56This is what we call the deceleration zone.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58and it slows you down to get you into a shopping mood.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00Heading towards the offer. As we were setting up,
0:39:00 > 0:39:02she was looking at this offer a number of times
0:39:02 > 0:39:05and had already conditioned herself to buy this offer.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07That's the one I remembered.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10Your eye is never still. It moves around in a series of jerky movements,
0:39:10 > 0:39:12which are called fixations each time it stops.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15Sarah's already on the "Save 20p" bit.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18Yeah, the first thing that has attracted her was the big "Save 20p" sign.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22And you can see by how many times the eye's moving around,
0:39:22 > 0:39:24focusing on different things, this is very mentally taxing.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26And here we are looking at more vegetables.
0:39:26 > 0:39:31You see the ones you want and, unfortunately, there's only one left in the box.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34We don't like buying the last ones, consumers in this country,
0:39:34 > 0:39:37so you then decide to leave that one. Everybody else has left it.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39So now we're leaving the produce section
0:39:39 > 0:39:41and looking at the yoghurts and chilled deserts.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43What's on special offer and what isn't?
0:39:43 > 0:39:45When you've got such a choice in front of you
0:39:45 > 0:39:47it's very hard to make rational decisions,
0:39:47 > 0:39:49so by using the price tickets to reduce that choice,
0:39:49 > 0:39:52helps you to limit what you have to mentally consider at that moment.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Another product catches your eye.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56Start with own label, there you are,
0:39:56 > 0:40:00then you spot the branded one is actually better value.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02I can't remember, was it bigger?
0:40:02 > 0:40:08Bigger for less money, I think. 69 versus 85.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11Yeah, cos you wouldn't expect the branded stuff to be less
0:40:11 > 0:40:13because there was no offer on there either. I don't think.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16Then you spot another branded one with an offer,
0:40:16 > 0:40:19and, very cleverly you check for a reference price
0:40:19 > 0:40:21so £1.19 compared to what?
0:40:21 > 0:40:23See if you look.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26- Whoa, that was a good one. - Didn't even know I did that.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29Much of what we do in the supermarket, because we're at the mental limit,
0:40:29 > 0:40:32we don't remember literally seconds later.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36And here's a grab and go purchase coming up, look, it goes
0:40:36 > 0:40:40straight in the basket and you turn away, you see another temptation.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43A massive display of promoted products,
0:40:43 > 0:40:4510, 12, 14 different promotions on the back of that fixture.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47Your brain now is overloaded.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50You're trying to work out the good deals, the products you need, the products you like,
0:40:50 > 0:40:53the better value, the not so good value, but you can and you're doing this.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Are you quite happy with what you bought?
0:40:56 > 0:40:59This is just quite typical that I've got a lot of things there that
0:40:59 > 0:41:00I didn't go in for
0:41:00 > 0:41:04but I've got everything that I needed for the next few days so...
0:41:04 > 0:41:05How do you think she did, Philip?
0:41:05 > 0:41:07That was advanced shopping.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11You checked out the deals, if they didn't appeal, you ignored them,
0:41:11 > 0:41:13you weren't duped in any way.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17Typically, 60% of supermarket purchases are what we call grab and go.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19You don't check the price or the value, you just walk in,
0:41:19 > 0:41:21you don't have to think about it.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23That's what most supermarket shopping is.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26Sarah - only 26% of her purchases were like that
0:41:26 > 0:41:28but still 26% of purchases were.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31We all want to become better shoppers and obviously save money
0:41:31 > 0:41:33and not be ripped off,
0:41:33 > 0:41:35so what are your tips to help us be a better shopper?
0:41:35 > 0:41:39Typically, an adult will spend £150,000 in their lifetimes in supermarkets.
0:41:39 > 0:41:44If you can save 10%, that's £15,000, so go about it as a process.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Have a list, a great shopping list they'll give you,
0:41:47 > 0:41:49it's the till roll from last week.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53It'll tell you what cost more last week, what's gone up this week. What's on offer this week.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55Another one is take your time.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57We all say we haven't got any time for this, time for that,
0:41:57 > 0:42:02but we spend three minutes in the coffee shop waiting for the skinny latte to be made.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05Spend it in the supermarket and save 10, 15, 25%.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08Another tip is don't ever go shopping in a supermarket when you're hungry.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10Try and have something before you go in
0:42:10 > 0:42:13and if, after 20 minutes, you start to flag, start to get tired,
0:42:13 > 0:42:17you still got 25,000 square foot of store to shop, leave,
0:42:17 > 0:42:20put some stuff in the car, have something to eat outside and come back in.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28The convenience of supermarket shopping -
0:42:28 > 0:42:32almost everything you need under one roof - all of that is clear.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35But don't be lulled into thinking that all these retail giants
0:42:35 > 0:42:37have the consumer's interest at heart.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41Do try to resist that impulse to just grab and go.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43Think about it and check the offer
0:42:43 > 0:42:47before you hand over your hard-earned cash.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd