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?

You are correct @YellowBellyCat

I think that they raise the price so that the Clubcard Price looks better when they discount it.

@TotorosCatBus

I think that they raise the price so that the Clubcard Price looks better when they discount it.

I don’t think they do. I bought dishwasher and laundry capsules at Clubcard prices a couple of weeks ago, they were the least I can ever remember paying for them. The fruit loaf was the same full price as Waitrose.

Incidentally I don’t work for Tesco but I honestly think they’ve got the Clubcard thing right.

I've been keeping an eye on this over the last year and it's very worrying.Experts from the food industry has been warning about this for over a year and still nothing has been done.

It is much more than a lack of lorry drivers. People forget that last year many farmers across the globe were not able to harvest their crops or tend to their animals. Many crops failed due to droughts or floods and the crops that didn't could not be harvested due to lack of labour.

There is also a can shortage and a global shortage of things like tinned tomatoes. Many countries have sold their entire crop store to china leaving themselves in a very worrying position.

www.foodprocessing.com/industrynews/2021/uk-to-face-rolling-food-shortages/

Lidl Aldi use Ireland for a lots of their fresh produce other supermarket source further afield. That may be a reason for the problems with stock.

Just been tonight and was thinking the exact same thing ....

I shopped in Lidl today as I do most weeks, shelves were near empty, it’s been worsening over recent months. I have noticed even Lidl prices going up. Our Morrison’s & Sainsbury’s is no better. The local fields of produce & flowers are struggling to get cropped to as few staff to pick them.

I always notice the inflated prices in Tesco in comparison to Asda hence why I never ever shop there now apart from having a nose at clothing occasionally.

They seem to inflate prices more so with the club card option to give the impression of a huge saving when in fact other shops sell for less anyway.

Our Lidl was fine today. What I have noticed with all of them including Iceland is the lack of frozen vegetables

Tesco sucks. I bought sparkling water at night for 20p at an express, came back the next day and it's 55p. Everything goes up the next day. And their food (sandwiches, fruit) wasn't any good. As you said, empty shelves too. Thank fudge I've moved and don't have to give them anymore money

Oh yes local Tesco, no frozen veg either.

Yes, I agree Tesco prices have gone up and up. I have never shopped at a Lidl before but there is one on the edge of our market town. I'm going to try it to see what it's like.....

Looks like they weren’t making enough money from people shopping at some of the Extra stores so they’ve just rebranded them an Express so they can charge people more for exactly the same items

Cheeky fuckers. Well, I certainly can't afford an extra £20-odd a month to buy exactly the same stuff from exactly the same store so I won't be shopping there again. I wonder how many others will do the same when they realise what Tesco have done?

What I have noticed with all of them including Iceland is the lack of frozen vegetables

It's not just me then. Lidl hasn't had much tinned fruit either for months now.

Tesco have always been shit and expensive. We have access to all the supermarkets and they're the one we use the least.

I guess a lot of you must be in 'Tesco towns' where you don't have any other choice, because otherwise why would you use them?

@BarbaraofSeville

Tesco have always been shit and expensive. We have access to all the supermarkets and they're the one we use the least.

I guess a lot of you must be in 'Tesco towns' where you don't have any other choice, because otherwise why would you use them?

Yeah, Tesco is the only decent-sized supermarket in my city centre. There's other large supermarkets reasonably nearby but they're a pain in the arse to get to unless you drive. I have an Aldi near me where I do my main shopping, but for extras I've only really got Tesco.

Delivery slot prices have shot up too.
From £4.50 for 10-11am it's now £7.

People voted for Brexit.

@silkience

If lorry drivers are to be paid a living wage this will be reflected in the final product. We need to accept this, an absolute shocking amount of food is wasted in this country!

I agree

I know food is getting more expensive and people are struggling but the scary thing is that relative to other EU countries like France, food is still cheaper here. It can get a lot worse.

They are likely anticipating a cut in revenue due to a significant proportion of their staff having to isolate thanks to Johnson's "let it rip" agenda, and have increased their prices to account for this.

We are a vegetable farm in Northern Ireland and supply a big processing firm. They can't get stuff in from England or Europe because of shortages and red tape and the English processors are having similar problems. Our produce is burnt up as is large parts of the mainland and the Eastern European workers have gone the replacements either aren't there or won't work hard so production is down and orders aren't being fully filled. Factories like Heck and Quorn etc are having the same issues with staff and ingredients as will all the rest. The hauliers can't get enough drivers to deliver to the supermarkets (in all sectors not just fresh produce) and large supermarkets have told them they are expecting to have half empty shelves by autumn which will be nothing to do with Covid, these are the Brexit shortages kicking in and the reasons prices are high.

@NannyAndJohn

They are likely anticipating a cut in revenue due to a significant proportion of their staff having to isolate thanks to Johnson's "let it rip" agenda, and have increased their prices to account for this.

We've already established that it's because the store has rebranded from a Metro to an Express and raised its prices accordingly, in line with Express prices.

We've also established that price rises/stock scarcity in other stores may have something to do with staff in isolation etc, but it's more likely to do with issues around Brexit/hauliers pay and conditions.

Not everything is Because Covid

@LemonRoses

People voted for Brexit.

Yeah, cheers for that, you dummies.

www.farminguk.com/news/uk-meat-consumption-must-be-reduced-by-30-food-strategy-says_58581.html

We've had no real shortages here in Portugal since the first week of the pandemic (bit of panic buying), and we have Covid too.

Most of what you're experiencing in the UK is a Brexit thing. The pandemic is a very convenient distraction from the realities of leaving the single market and customs union without a backup plan. It's hardly surprising that the government will be trying to blame everything on Covid for as long as it can.