Latest grocery price comparisons

mike65

No suprises - the main chains still shadow one another and the German budget chains are way cheaper - a shop of 60 items was half as expensive in Lidl then Tescos while the same 60 tiems were seperated by less than 50c between Tesco and Dunnes.

/makes note to shop in Lidl on Saturday.

Mike.

Lizzykins

Tesco, Dunnes no difference. Superquinn mad money. Lidl and Aldi unbeatable. I was in Superquinn and saw a bag of treat size chocolate bars for 3.69 in Superquinn and the same ones were 3.33 in Tesco. Shaw's ham used to be 3.09 and now it's 3.39! Yoplait Frubes 3.38 up to 3.85 overnight!!!

iMax

Is the comparison list online anywhere ?

I've been trying to get the missus to shop in Lidl/Aldi for ages now but she doesn't like that "foreign gear" so won't... this may clinch it

ainenic

Hi, loads of detail on www.consumerconnect.ie. Link to Excel sheets on the site. Tables B, 9-14 are the ones which cover own brand goods. They take a while to load but are well worth looking at.

JohnC.

ainenic wrote: »

Hi, loads of detail on www.consumerconnect.ie. Link to Excel sheets on the site. Tables B, 9-14 are the ones which cover own brand goods. They take a while to load but are well worth looking at.

Looking at that table, I can see that two of those products prices which I am very familiar with are not correct for the dates given, but are correct from early this month, two months after the claimed dates.

As for own brand stuff, own brand goods in some chains will probably be a similar price between them anyway as many items are the same product from the same supplier with a different box or wrapper on it.

Einstein

Lizzykins wrote: »

Tesco, Dunnes no difference. Superquinn mad money. Lidl and Aldi unbeatable. I was in Superquinn and saw a bag of treat size chocolate bars for 3.69 in Superquinn and the same ones were 3.33 in Tesco. Shaw's ham used to be 3.09 and now it's 3.39! Yoplait Frubes 3.38 up to 3.85 overnight!!!

you do realise that the suppliers to any retailer also up there increases overnight too right...?
We get just as much notice as the public...

Cabaal

Thing is why are people bitching about Superquinn?
When did Superquinn ever advertising there prices as better value then the rest, Superquinn has always been about quality of service...not cheap cheap prices.

That was clear when you used to see Eamonn Quinn helping customers with trollys in places like Kilkenny, it was all about getting to know the customers and making sure they were happy.

mickoneill30

Cabaal wrote: »

Thing is why are people bitching about Superquinn?
When did Superquinn ever advertising there prices as better value then the rest, Superquinn has always been about quality of service...not cheap cheap prices.

I do my shopping in the Pavillions in Swords. There's a Dunnes and Superquinn about 50m apart from each other. For butchers and bakery Superquinn is way better. For selections of other items and length of time waiting at the checkout they're pretty much the same.

Cabaal

mickoneill30 wrote: »

I do my shopping in the Pavillions in Swords. There's a Dunnes and Superquinn about 50m apart from each other. For butchers and bakery Superquinn is way better. For selections of other items and length of time waiting at the checkout they're pretty much the same.

Oh for def, Superquinn is the way to go for bread and meats when compared to others

Tabnabs

Lidl proves the cheapest in price survey of groceries

PAUL CULLEN, Consumer Affairs Correspondent

CONSUMERS CAN make massive savings by doing their food shopping in discount stores such as Lidl and Aldi, but have to make their own judgments about quality and convenience, according to a major new food price survey.

A basket of 28 own-brand goods was more than 50 per cent cheaper in Lidl than in Dunnes Stores or Tesco, the survey by the National Consumer Agency (NCA) found, and individual items were often several times cheaper in Lidl.

Own-brand yoghurt was 47 cent in Lidl, for example, but €1.99 in Tesco; ice-cream was 64 cent in Lidl but €2.32 in Tesco. A pizza cost €1.16 in Lidl but €2.94 in Dunnes, and wheat biscuits cost 57 cent in Lidl and €1.39 in Dunnes.

Meanwhile, prices in the main supermarket chains - Tesco, Dunnes Stores and Superquinn - were uniform across a wide range of branded and own-brand products, leading the NCA to conclude the multiples are not competing against each other on price.

"There is virtually no price difference between Dunnes and Tesco, with only 35 cent separating them for a basket of 61 branded goods," said NCA chief executive Ann Fitzgerald. "It's clear there is no competition among the multiples on branded goods."

Small butchers and other food stores were often far cheaper than the supermarkets for fresh meat, fruit and vegetables, the survey also found. However, because prices varied more within this sector, independent stores could also be dearer than their big rivals.

This is the second price survey by the NCA and the first time it has looked at own-brand goods, fresh food and smaller retailers. Own-brand products are difficult to compare because of different product ranges and sizes but the agency focused on mid-range products and adjusted weights to ensure they were comparable.

There was little difference in price on own-brand products between the multiples - just 1.1 per cent between Dunnes and Tesco for a 32-product basket.

Among the discounters, Lidl came off best against Aldi: it was almost 17 per cent cheaper than its German rival for a basket of 48 goods. It was 56 per cent cheaper than Dunnes, 52 per cent cheaper than Tesco and up to 45 per cent cheaper than Supervalu on comparable items.

Ms Fitzgerald said there were clearly substantial differences between the prices charged by Lidl and Aldi and other retailers.

Asked about the quality of the goods sold by the two discount chains, she said: "Just because they're called discounters doesn't mean their goods are of low quality. It's up to the customer to make up their own mind about quality, price and value."

Meat varied 30 per cent in price for a basket of six items, with the cheapest and dearest prices found in independent butchers. The price differential for loose fruit and vegetables, at 66 per cent, was even greater, and again independent shops supplied the cheapest and dearest prices.

For branded products, a basket of 61 products cost €187.04 in Dunnes, €187.39 in Tesco and €188.95 in Superquinn. The 1 per cent price differential between the cheapest and the dearest is even lower than in the last survey carried out in 2007.

Supervalu is only marginally more expensive than Tesco and Dunnes and slightly cheaper than Superquinn, the survey found.

Ms Fitzgerald welcomed Supervalu's emergence as a "real competitor" to the multiples.

Eurospar, which is also positioning itself as a full-service supermarket, was more than 5 per cent dearer than Dunnes on a basket of 31 products.

"As grocery prices go up due to international factors, price and value for money become even more important and our strong advice to consumers is to split their shopping basket if possible and to seek value in the range of shops available to them," said Ms Fitzgerald.

© 2008 The Irish Times

mike65

Good to see the indy butcher/grocers get mentioned for value.

Mike.

mike65

Went into Lidl or Lidel as we say in an effort to make it sound a bit posher!

Some huge differences - whether the quality suffers I'll find out over the next few days.

Milk 2 ltrs

---

1.65----Centra 2.35
Brown Bread

---

1.39----Centra 2.10
Youghart Quadpack--0.47

---

Centra 2.20
Ham Slices

---

1.49----Centra 2.85
Beans

---

0.35----Centra 0.70

Mike.

Champ

Mmmm I've noticed the price shadowing too... they don't seem to be competing at all. Very little or any difference in pricing between my local Dunnes Stores and Tesco. Time to organise an expedition to the closest Lidl, even if it is a bit of a journey the potential savings look to be well worth it.

Never been in a Lidl before so... whats the product range available for home cooking? I'd be looking for stuff like breadcrumbs, sesame seeds(preferably dehulled), black pepper, lemon juice...

Guy:Incognito

mike65 wrote: »

Went into Lidl or Lidel as we say in an effort to make it sound a bit posher!

Some huge differences - whether the quality suffers I'll find out over the next few days.

Milk 2 ltrs

---

1.65----Centra 2.35
Brown Bread

---

1.39----Centra 2.10
Youghart Quadpack--0.47

---

Centra 2.20
Ham Slices

---

1.49----Centra 2.85
Beans

---

0.35----Centra 0.70

Mike.

Bit pointless compareing them to convenience stores Mike. It's not like for like

mike65

It is if the local shop is where I usually go

I would have also compared with SQ where I have been shopping since Xmas (lidl is 300 metres away!) had I got any till receipts.

Mike.

Guy:Incognito

mike65 wrote: »

It is if the local shop is where I usually go

I would have also compared with SQ where I have been shopping since Xmas (lidl is 300 metres away!) had I got any till receipts.

Mike.

But sure for that matter you may as well compare the prices in the local Texaco garage to Lidl aswell.



Feels odd replying to a post of yours all the way over here on the left of boards.:) I'm off back home to Soccer.

mike65

tbf, my Centra is no corner shop - its doubled in size recently and has a permenent staff of about 12.

Now back to familiar ground->

Mike.

JohnC.

Champ wrote: »

Mmmm I've noticed the price shadowing too... they don't seem to be competing at all. Very little or any difference in pricing between my local Dunnes Stores and Tesco.

Prices increasing by a similar amount at the same time is usually down to the supplier. Suppliers demand an increase in price and they won't supply the shops if they don't comply. I remember it happening several times with Brennans bread in Dunnes. Brennans wanted a price increase but Dunnes refused, so Dunnes got no Brennans products, sometimes for only a week or so, but once for months. Of course, there is no praise for supermarkets when they try not to give in to stuff like that.

dudara

Champ wrote: »

Never been in a Lidl before so... whats the product range available for home cooking? I'd be looking for stuff like breadcrumbs, sesame seeds(preferably dehulled), black pepper, lemon juice...

Product range might not be as extensive, but it definitely covers the basics and then some

Breadcrumbs - sliced pan in food processor

Sesame seeds - not likely

black pepper - yes

Lemon juice - don't know if it's in bottles but a net of lemons costs nothing.

iMax

Shopped in Tescos today for the first time in ages on the basis of this comparison. Found it much more expensive. Came to €156 rather than our average of €120 in Dunnes. Won't be going back.

Kintarō Hattori

A few years back myself and the missus decided we'd give the Lidl and Aldi a go for the weekly shopping. I have to say while it's great for some items such as fruit and veg, treats etc, it's terrible for others. I found that while the price might be cheaper some products seem to suffer a lack of flavour.

Cheese, yoghurts, mayo, jams etc were all pretty bland.

Cork

What drives me mad about some supermarkets is the prices they change within Ireland and outside of Ireland.

What is worse - where is the competition between multiples?

dahamsta

Kind of off topic, but I've always thought the way Tesco has marketed itself as a (relatively) high quality brand in Ireland is very clever, given that they're seen as a cheapie in the UK. The Value v Finest dual-thread is genius too.

I dislike marketers in general, but the marketing boss in Tesco is one cute hoor.

adam

mike65

Said Marketing Boss in T€sco is Jack McGowan who is indeed a worthy successor to evil genius Maurice Pratt.

Mike.

cast_iron

Cork wrote: »

What drives me mad about some supermarkets is the prices they change within Ireland and outside of Ireland.

What is worse - where is the competition between multiples?

None of that makes any sense in the English language.


In any case, some countries are more expensive to operate a business than others.

cast_iron

mike65 wrote: »

tbf, my Centra is no corner shop - its doubled in size recently and has a permenent staff of about 12.

No one mentioned anything about corner shops.

Convenience stores' prices do not compare to those of supermarkets at all.

mike65

Okay okay, they still kick the multiples in the butt.

Miek.

loyatemu

problem with Lidl - some of their stuff is very good, some of it is very bad indeed (I can't believe those 47c yoghurts are worth eating). Same goes for Tesco's own-brand stuff but at least in tesco there are branded alternatives. If I shopped in Lidl I'd end up doing a second shop somewhere else as well.

themadchef

Personally i like Tesco, but i'm always tempted to go to Aldi as everyone always goes on about how good the prices are.

Three weeks ago i decided i would try to do the family shopping in Aldi. Lovely shop, well laid out and masses of new space since they moved location. I still missed all my branded stuff and knew i would have to stop in local Super Value for branded essential but this was no big deal.

The problem i had was the way i was treated at the check out. I had bought two sets of pillows which placed on the conveyor belt. The check out opperator roared at me to take them off (no idea why) i wasint allowed to leave them in trolley and eventually put them on the floor in front of me.

Then its my turn to have my groceries checked out. I couldint believe the way the cashier literally kept firing the stuff at me and the one sq ft of space for items. I'm doing my head in trying to keep with her as shes flinging stuff in my general direction and almost huffing at me for not being quite fast enough putting them in the trolley!

I felt it was like a cattle mart and i dont care if it costs me extra to shop in Tesco or Dunnes i dont need that much extra stress. The attitude i felt was " we know youre getting it cheap now spend fast and get out fast"

No thanks, i work too hard for my money to be treated like that

bmaxi

themadchef wrote: »

Personally i like Tesco, but i'm always tempted to go to Aldi as everyone always goes on about how good the prices are.

Three weeks ago i decided i would try to do the family shopping in Aldi. Lovely shop, well laid out and masses of new space since they moved location. I still missed all my branded stuff and knew i would have to stop in local Super Value for branded essential but this was no big deal.

The problem i had was the way i was treated at the check out. I had bought two sets of pillows which placed on the conveyor belt. The check out opperator roared at me to take them off (no idea why) i wasint allowed to leave them in trolley and eventually put them on the floor in front of me.

Then its my turn to have my groceries checked out. I couldint believe the way the cashier literally kept firing the stuff at me and the one sq ft of space for items. I'm doing my head in trying to keep with her as shes flinging stuff in my general direction and almost huffing at me for not being quite fast enough putting them in the trolley!

I felt it was like a cattle mart and i dont care if it costs me extra to shop in Tesco or Dunnes i dont need that much extra stress. The attitude i felt was " we know youre getting it cheap now spend fast and get out fast"

No thanks, i work too hard for my money to be treated like that

I have never had a problem with Lidl / Aldi and have always found the staff to be very civil. My question is, did you leave it at that? If I had an experience such as you describe, in any shop, I would demand to see the Manager and ask him if this was typical of the training his staff received, I very much doubt it. Should I feel I was being fobbed off by the Manager, I would ask for the name and 'phone no. of the Area Manager, this would be readily available from Head office and the Manager would know this. People are too ready to accept this sort of behaviour and then seethe about it to themselves or come on to Boards and moan, I know, it's a way of blowing off steam.
You say you work hard for your money and don't deserve to be treated like that, I say you do deserve to be treated like that because you allowed yourself to be treated like that. If it should happen again, in any store, just leave your shopping on the belt and go and seek out the Manager, if he/she is not available walk out of the shop and console yourself with the chaos you've left behind for the cashier to sort out and explain to his/her boss. Then, next opportunity get on to Head office and complain.

jimmycrackcorm

The simple answer is to shop in Aldi / Lidl first, get what you can and then go to the others after. It's actually shocking how much you can save. Our typical Superquinn bill was halved.