The simple Tesco shopping hack that could save you more than £20 on your weekly shop
A shopping expert has shared a simple trick to help you find the cheapest items in your local supermarket - all you need to do is look at the shelves a bit differently
by James Harrison, Emma Gill, Talya Honebeek · ChronicleLiveSavvy shoppers are always doing everything they can to minimise expenses - and that includes saving at the supermarket.
But one simple trick to discovering the lowest prices is often overlooked by customers, and all it requires is looking on the bottom shelf.
Food budget expert Lorna Cooper previously highlighted this approach, explaining that shoppers are often too focused on the eye-level offerings, or the products that are part of a promotion, that they fail to find the cheapest products lower down. She said that followers of her Facebook page Feed your family for about £20 a week often question where she's found such cheap items - and it's because they're not looking in the right spots.
Parents Editor Emma Gill, from the Manchester Evening News, decided to follow the 'down low' rule for her big shop at Tesco this week to see how much can be saved compared with big brand products positioned at eye level. "I was surprised by just how many shelves were laid out in this way and for a lot of people, especially those in a rush or shopping with children and getting distracted, it would be easy to miss the cheaper items," she shared.
"There's obviously a quality difference between some of the products - and not everyone is as happy to buy the own brand or budget goods - but with the cost of living crisis still hitting hard, a lot of shoppers are having to make different choices, or are at least willing to give cheaper products a try."
Emma highlighted the "staggering" differences in grocery pricing, pointing out that a 1kg bag of Tesco's standard long grain rice is being sold for £1.25, whereas the budget-friendly Grower's Harvest line offers the same amount of rice for a mere 52p. Shoppers can also obtain a litre of Tesco-branded orange or apple juice for £1.25, but if they look just a few shelves down, the Grower's Harvest equivalent is on sale at only 85p.
She expanded her examples by noting: "The big brand curry sauces are more than £2, or £1.50 with the Clubcard offer that shouts out at eye level, yet its cheaper ones are on the bottom for just 99p - and really tasty too."
"It was the same story with the soup, with Heinz tins costing £2 each, or 3 for £4, but Tesco's own, on the bottom shelf, costing £1.10."
Emma noted that this 'lower shelf, lower price' phenomenon was most prevalent among tinned goods and cupboard staples, but similar patterns were observed within some fridge sections as well. For instance, while Richmond sausages were placed at eye level with a price tag of £2.60, Tesco's own-brand equivalent positioned on a lower tier could be snapped up for £1.79.
In the world of cheeses, a 400g pack of mature cheddar commanded a £3 price point, with the less costly Creamfields variety at £2.49 shelved below.
However, Emma urged shoppers not to ignore the top shelves, where bargains can still be found – such as the Clubcard deal on chicken breasts priced at £5.79 per kilo compared to Willow Farms chicken priced at £6.49 per kilo and routinely matched to Aldi, found resting on the lower shelf.
The 'low down' rule seems to have merits when supermarket shopping, as a comparison of bakery items revealed. At Tesco, an eight-pack of tortilla wraps was priced competitively at £1.20, a saving compared to Mission Deli's six-pack for £1.60.
Savvier choices like Tesco's chocolate brioche rolls also highlighted the savings — with an eight-pack going for £1.60 sitting on the bottom shelf, providing better value than the Pitch branded six-pack at £1.75.
In the egg aisle, it was clear bargain hunters knew where to look; the bottom shelf that normally houses the 15-pack of mixed weight eggs for £1.99 was emptied out by shoppers. The freezer section held its own secrets too.
While McCain Skin on Fries could tempt with a £3 Clubcard offer for an 800g pack, a glance would show Tesco's 900g equivalent beside it for just £2.50. And in a head-to-head with Birds Eye chicken dippers, Tesco's own not only undercut the price at £3.45 for 44 pieces (53% chicken) compared to the Birds Eye £4 Clubcard deal for 38 pieces (50% chicken).
Reflecting on the budget-friendly swaps, Emma remarked: "The swaps I made meant an overall saving of more than £20, so it's not small change."
Expert Lorna asserted: “I know I have mentioned supermarket psychology before but I wanted to mention it again. Often when I put the prices of items I buy on here people immediately say 'where do you buy that so cheap?
"This is a my local Tesco which is fairly small but the cheaper ranges are still available. But they are out of eye level. Hidden low down on the shelf out the way where, unless you are specifically looking for them, you are unlikely to notice them.
"Check the whole shelf."
Asked about the product placement of budget items, a spokesman for Tesco said: "We offer a wide range of products in our stores, with a variety of branded and own-brand products to suit customers' needs, and thanks to our combination of Aldi Price Match, Low Everyday Prices and Clubcard Prices, shoppers can be sure they will get great value at Tesco, however they decide to shop."
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