What's up with Tesco prices?

[TheVampiresWife]

Just come back from my local one. Quite substantial price hikes on loads of stuff since I was in on Sunday. Examples:

Quorn lasagne was £3 on Sunday, £3.50 today
Green beans, 69p/£1.40
Can Diet Coke, 59p/89p
Cauliflower cheese, £1.25/£1.60
Veggie sausages, £2/£2.75

...and on and on. Loads of stuff, and not stuff that was previously on offer either. A few pence, fair enough, I probably wouldn't even notice, but my shopping was over a fiver more than usual for the same stuff I buy every week. I don't think I've ever seen such steep sudden price hikes.

Lots of empty shelves too - don't know if the two are connected. Perhaps because distribution staff are isolating?

Anyone else's Tesco the same? Is it the same in other supermarkets?

I haven't noticed but then I've not been in Tesco at all this week.
I feel their prices have been increasing since the start of covid last year. My weekly shopping costs have certainly gone up substantially in the last 18 months.

I imagine that the costs is more likely due to brexit, empty shelves could be due to staff isolating, but that's a guess on both counts tbh.

Recently, in Sainsbury's, the standard tub of Lurpack had reached the giddy heights of £4. A woman was expressing her astonishment at the checkout. Not as if the staff could do anything about it.

Tesco bills been going up and up. Items that were 80p are now £1.20. A box of Diet Coke was £6 before Covid. Now it’s £8.50. These “clubcard prices” are also a joke to inflate prices.

Yes! Did click and collect yesterday, 2 and a half measly bags of shopping were over £50. And as PP the whole "club card prices" doesn't sit right with me.

That's a huge hike in prices
I shop in lidl now and local supermarkets only for offers.

Yes, the prices have rocketed. The prices of the free from foodstuffs were always sublime but they have achieved the giddy heights of ridiculousness in recent months. I'm actually really concerned, they also seem to have shrinking ranges and not as much stock, looks like we're hitting brexit head on.

Those are huge hikes in just a week, even for Tesco. Also agree with PP re the club card prices, very rarely are they a good price at all!

Their pistachios were £5 for a bag usually. Was shocked to find out they're now £5.30.

Did it change from a Metro to Express, or the other way around?
One is more expensive.

I went into our local Tesco last night and thought exactly the same. I ended up getting only what o needed for tea last night and will make plans to shop elsewhere I think. Strawberries were £3 a punnet and Sainsbury’s a £1.50. Unbelievable.

@userlotsanumbers there is a global shortage of rice flour and that is affecting prices for Free From products www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jul/17/gluten-free-food-costs-rise-recipes-price-rice-flour-free-from?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Cow and gate anti reflux formula went up by a whole £1 recently, now SMA has gone up about 65p just overnight. That along with the lack of offers, even if you take advantage of clubcard prices is making Tesco increasingly expensive.

Thanks for pointing this out. I've noticed that our shopping costs a lot but was honestly just grateful that they bring us food, given how crazy everything has been.

Having said that, I have a 16kg bag of gluten free flour in the fridge, so it sounds as though I'd better start using it.

I've just been to Tesco and their shelves were very bare

Apparently there’s a massive shortage of lorry drivers which is why there are empty shelves. Lots of the drivers are European and after the lockdown they didn’t come back.

I think the massive rise in fuel prices will be having some effect. Over £1.30 for petrol and diesel ( Given MN only drive electric and cycle,I thought I’d point that out.)
That’s got to be hitting production costs as well as getting it in the shops.

I shop at Lidl. No price rises that I have noticed and the quality is excellent.

Lack of lorry drivers is a problem - particularly in food delivery due to antisocial hours. Haulage firms are having to pay drivers a premium for working working on days off / overtime hours and that cost will be passed on.

Petrol prices have gone up - another cost to be passed on.

Farmers cannot get workers to harvest fresh fruit and veg. Many were Eastern European and with the brexit / covid combination they’ve gone home and won’t come back. Which means the farmers either have to pay higher wages to attract locals (extra cost which is passed on) or simply let the crops rot (which means farmers who are able to harvest can charge more, and they need the money due to EU subsidies ending).

They are really pushing their clubcard and how it gives you money off of essentials right now so maybe this is how they're financing the scheme plus it's an incentive for people to sign up and use it (I wouldn't unless you actually want to spend the points, otherwise your giving them easy access to what your shopping habits are for the ability to be able to use a points card)

No idea. They cancelled the order this morning that I was having delivered to my son this evening due to a 'store issue'. He can't go shopping as he tested positive for covid last week.

Sounds like the difference between a big tesco and the expresses? I know the diet coke is 59p in tesco (and was today) but is 89p in the express store

ChloeCrocodile's nailed it. I'd add in warehouse and logistics staff getting pinged as well so supply can't keep up with demand.

Lack of lorry drivers is a problem

Our tesco delivery guy told us a couple of weeks ago this why they are getting so many out of stocks and price increases too.

Our local Sainsbury's looks as though it has been ransacked by starving pirates. Lidl this morning wasn't much better. Tesco last week was absolutely fine and I didn't notice any price hikes in my shopping.

There is a massive shortage of lorry drivers in this country at the moment.

Supermarket distribution centres aren’t known for their good wages/hours for staff so aren’t going to appeal to many drivers when they can go elsewhere for better conditions.