A Tesco shopper was left stunned to find out that the price of her big shop has surged by 35 per cent from 2020. Emma Gill revealed that almost half the items in her basket have gone up by 50 per cent in two years.
The Manchester Evening News journalist headed to her local shop to see the impact that the cost of living crisis is having on groceries. She took a trip to Tesco, after the supermarket chain became the most expensive out of the publication's weekly price check on basic products.
Emma says she was stunned during her visit to the store to see how much products have risen in price from just three years ago. She said: "Shockingly almost half of the 43 products have gone up by 50 per cent or more, with the biggest hike being Tesco's angel cake, up from 62p to £1.60 - a 158 per cent increase.
"Other big increases include Soreen malt loaf, up from 60p to £1.40 (133.3 per cent), Pitch chocolate bread up from 75p to £1.50 (100 per cent) and Tesco vanilla cheesecake, up from £2 to £3.90 (95 per cent). We all like cheesecake...., but a 95 per cent hike is hardly justifiable for something that's not a necessity, especially after the excesses of Christmas.
"Same goes for Jelly Babies, up from 90p to £1.50. And while we like the conchiglie pasta shells, a 65 per cent rise has taken the pack to £1.65 and you can get 1kg of pasta much cheaper elsewhere."
The journalist reveals that it is not just luxury items that have increased but also essentials such as milk. Emma added:" It's quite worrying to see how much essentials like milk have gone up - with a four-pint bottle of skimmed up 50 per cent from £1.10 to £1.65 - the price most supermarkets are selling it for now.
"As for the four pack of Heinz Beanz, it's depressing to see the family favourite has risen from £2.50 to £3.99. And you'll now pay a whopping £2 for a single tin of Heinz Spaghetti & Sausages, which are up 60 per cent. Even if you take advantage of the 3 for £5 Clubcard offer, it's still £1.66 a tin, compared with £1.25."
The writer says her shopping bill increased by over £20 from 2020. She says only four of the products have gone down in price and three have stayed the same from the time period. Emma added: "A total of 36 out of the 43 products have gone up since 2020, with three staying the same and four reducing.
"The reductions on the four costing less - potatoes, carrots, garlic flatbread and ham - are all due to either 'Aldi price match' or the retailer's Clubcard. The increases represent a 35 per cent hike overall, with the bill rising from £63.27 in 2020, to £85.44 this week. In the last year alone the bill has risen by 11 per cent - and shoppers are being warned that we're not out of the woods yet."
To combat this price hike, Tesco recently announced a new price-lock commitment, freezing the prices of more than 1,000 everyday products until Easter. The supermarket says that with its Aldi Price Match, Clubcard and Low Everyday Prices initiatives, it has "significantly increased the number of value lines" it sells.
A spokesperson for Tesco said: “With household budgets under increasing pressure we are absolutely committed to helping our customers, by keeping a laser focus on the cost of the weekly shop.
“So whether it’s price matching Aldi on the basics, locking the price of more than a thousand household staples until Easter 2023, or offering exclusive deals and rewards through thousands of Clubcard Prices – we’re more committed than ever to providing our customers with great value.”
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