Tesco shopping hack will save you £20 on your weekly shop
Savvy shoppers are always on the hunt for ways to cut costs - and that includes bagging a bargain at the supermarket.
However, one simple trick to uncovering the lowest prices is often missed by customers, and all it requires is a glance at the bottom shelf. Food budget expert Lorna Cooper previously highlighted this tactic, explaining that shoppers are often too engrossed in the eye-level offerings, or the products that are part of a promotion, that they overlook the cheapest products situated lower down.
She revealed that followers of her Facebook page 'Feed your family for about £20 a week' frequently question where she's unearthed such inexpensive items - and it's because they're not looking in the right places.
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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 pointed out the "staggering" differences in grocery pricing, illustrating how a 1kg bag of Tesco's standard long grain rice sells for £1.25, while the more budget-friendly Grower's Harvest brand is just 52p for the same quantity. Customers also have the option to buy a litre of Tesco-branded orange or apple juice for £1.25, but the Grower's Harvest alternative is priced at just 85p a few shelves below, reports Chronicle Live.
She continued by highlighting: "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 also noticed that this trend of 'lower shelf, lower price' was especially common among tinned goods and cupboard staples, and it extended into certain refrigerated sections too. For example, Richmond sausages were displayed at eye level at £2.60, whereas Tesco's own brand sausages were found on a lower shelf for £1.79.
And in the cheese aisle, a 400g block of mature cheddar was offered at £3, but shoppers could find the Creamfields version beneath it for £2.49.
However, Emma imparted a savvy tip to shoppers to not just skim the middle shelves for offers. She highlighted how true bargains are often nestled on the top shelves, with deals such as £5.79 per kilo for chicken breasts with a Clubcard compared to Willow Farms chicken at £6.49 per kilo, frequently positioned on the lower shelves and matched against Aldi prices.
The money-saving strategy was reinforced by comparing bakery goods; Tesco’s own-brand tortilla wraps were a steal at £1.20 for eight, while Mission Deli charged £1.60 for six. More shrewd choices included Tesco's chocolate brioche rolls at £1.60 for eight, tucked away on the bottom shelf offering better value than Pitch's £1.75 six-pack.
In the egg aisle, eagle-eyed bargain hunters had already snapped up the 15-pack of mixed weight eggs for £1.99 from the bottom shelf. Similarly, the freezer section had hidden bargains, like McCain Skin on Fries at £3 for an 800g pack, but Tesco’s 900g version next to it for only £2.50 offered more for less, and Tesco’s own brand chicken dippers at £3.45 for 44 pieces undercut Birds Eye’s £4 deal for 38 pieces.
Emma summed up saying: "The swaps I made meant an overall saving of more than £20, so it's not small change."
Expert Lorna highlighted the impact of where products are placed in stores, saying: "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? " She added, "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."
Emphasising her point, she advised, "Check the whole shelf."
When questioned about how budget items are positioned within their aisles, a spokesperson for Tesco explained: "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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