It might not be a household name in the UK just yet, but Swedish discounter Motatos is set to shake up UK retail. The brand is already a hit in the Nordic countries and it is set to rival the likes of Aldi and Lidl after its launch earlier this month.
The online store, which first launched eight years ago in Sweden, cuts prices by offering surplus food from wholesalers. This food is often deemed surplus because of new packaging, a change in seasons or short ‘best before’ dates.
Often it will end up in landfill, so Motatos has decided to sell it off cheaply instead. Because Motatos does not stock fresh, refrigerated or frozen food, it's unlikely you'll be able to do all of your food shopping there, but consumer group Which? was impressed with the prices when it carried out a shopping basket survey last week.
Read more: What can you eat safely after its best before date?
Festooned with peace signs and revolution slogans, Motatos' online store offers something a little bit different (and a lot more eco-friendly) than many other food retailers. "Because we save products and help our suppliers be more sustainable, we get the opportunity to buy our products at great prices. This means we can sell them to you with amazing discounts," its website explains.
It saves products from food producers and wholesalers that would otherwise be thrown away due to overproduction, faulty packaging, seasonal trends, and short or sometimes passed best-before dates. It claims it's then able to sell these items with significant discounts, typically between 20-60% cheaper than the product's normal price.
Motatos says it always strives to stock the most well-known brands on the market - but due to its business model, you might notice that its range changes frequently (almost daily, in fact) depending on the products that need saving from landfill. When Which? carried out the research last week, Motatos sold a broad range of household names such as Ariel, Cadbury, Heinz, Johnson's, Kellogg's, Nescafe and Walkers.
Which? took a snapshot look at some of the most popular branded food products sold on Motatos' site and compared their prices with other supermarkets that stocked the items on the same day.
This is what they found to be cheaper:
Coca-Cola Cherry Zero Sugar: (1.75L) £1.25 (£2 at Sainsbury's).
Cadbury Dairy Milk Mint Buttons: (110g) 63p (£1.25 at Tesco).
Robinsons Blackcurrant Double Strength (1l): £1.58 (£2 at Asda, £2 at Ocado, £2 at Sainsbury's, £2.25 at Tesco).
Aquafresh Toothpaste Intense Clean Lasting Fresh Single tube: 75g £1.58 (£3 at Ocado).
Finish Dishwasher Cleaner Original 250ml: £2.50 (£4 at Morrisons).
However, two items compared by Which? were more expensive:
Radox Handwash Antibac Replenishing 250ml: £1.26 (89p at Asda)
Nescafe Dolce Gusto Cappuccino Coffee Pods (16 capsules): £3.99 (£3.50 at Asda, Tesco and Waitrose £4 at Morrisons)
It's worth bearing in mind that the price comparisons don't take into account loyalty schemes such as Tesco Clubcard prices or Boots Advantage Card Scheme, but although products can occasionally be found cheaper elsewhere, shopping with Motatos comes with the added bonus of saving a product that would otherwise have needlessly been thrown out.
There is a £20 minimum spend and delivery is £2.99 or free if you spend over £40. Make sure to check the best-before dates before buying as they might be shorter than you'd expect.
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