Consumers could be forced to pay triple the price for standard supermarket own-brand products when budget range alternatives are absent from stores.
According to Which?, staple food items including rice, spaghetti baked beans and tea bags are among the items that could cost three times more.
As a result, the consumer watchdog has called on supermarkets to ensure more essential value range items are stocked in convenience stores.
Which? analysed the prices of almost 26,000 products at the UK’s leading supermarkets and found that shoppers could face paying 264% more at Asda for 1kg of long grain rice where the 52p budget Just Essentials product was unavailable, as its standard own-brand version costs £1.80.
It added that if no own-brand option was available, branded alternatives such as Ben’s Original long grain rice could cost 833% more at £4.85.
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Which? found that at Tesco and Sainsbury’s, when 52p versions of their budget own-brand long grain rice products were absent from stores, the standard own-brand alternative was £1.25 at both – representing a 140% increase in price.
At Morrisons, budget Savers Baked Beans were 27p, however standard own-brand Morrisons baked beans were 48p, which is 78% more and at Sainsbury’s, the Hubbard’s Foodstore budget baked beans were 27p while standard own-brand was 43p – a 59% increase.
Which? said that shoppers relying on supermarket convenience stores are likely to have a limited choice as its previous research shows essential budget line items are rarely sold in them.
The watchdog also found that supermarkets charge higher prices for the same products at convenience stores, compared with larger stores.
However, Morrisons introduced a range of entry level products in over 500 of its convenience stores in July which are the same price as in its larger supermarkets. In turn, Tesco has vowed to swap branded goods with cheaper branded or own-brand alternatives in its Express stores.
Which? head of food policy Sue Davies said: “As millions struggle with increased food prices and other high household bills, it’s staggering that shoppers face paying over three times more for items if they can’t get to a larger supermarket.
“Which? is calling on all major supermarkets to ensure expensive convenience stores are stocked with a range of essential budget ranges so that hard-pressed customers can afford important staple foods to feed themselves and their loved ones healthily.”
