Is it just Coop or is everywhere so bloody expensive?

[Flexilexy]

Coop is my only local shop so normally I do a larger shop in Tesco/Lidl. On Friday I realised I had one nappy left so popped to Coop on my way home. It was £11 for a pack of nappies. £11 bloody quid! I refused to pay that for 36 nappies (which think that was the pack size, might be wrong) so rushed to another town for Waitrose where I got two of the same size packs on offer for £12.
Last night popped in to grab some milk and fruit (don’t get me started on the price of fruit). They had little leaflets in the baskets listing what the food bank needs most so I thought I’d buy some of the stuff listed.
A tin pf corned beef was £4! In fact pretty much all tinned meat for £4+, which I’m guessing it why the food bank has a shortage.

Is it just me or are these prices insane?

Ours is ridiculous.

I really feel for the elderly and less well off who can’t just hop in a car and drive down to another supermarket chain. Buses are few and far between here now.

My co-op is a convenience store, so it has more expensive prices on certain things. Things like bread and eggs are cheap though, along with alcohol and chocolate. In fact most things are fairly reasonable.

I go in most days as it's a 2 minute walk and when I get bored and need a break from work I'll go and see what I want for lunch and buy some French bread and ham. I'll sometimes treat myself to some freshly baked croissants.

Sometimes it has some good offers (18 cans of coke for £8.25 take off the 75p for members and then the 50p they sent me on the app and it's down to £7). It's a godsend when I run out of cat food or just have enough to last until pay day. Up at 7 am on payday, in the co-op buying cat food. I do have to drive to my local big supermarket so if all i want is bread or maybe something for supper, I'll go to the co-op.

Large supermarkets can have multi buys and buy in bigger quantities so will always be cheaper.

I recently found out that there are two types of co-op. Ones that are actually co-op owned, and then ones that are 'franchises'. I think they have different colour logos.

It's always been pricier than the average supermarket but I hate these days their prices are astronomical. £3.75 for some rice!!

🤣

Co op can be expensive but often has some good offers and the food is pretty good quality. Joints of meat are good value and tasty. Last week, i was shocked at how expensive Sainsbury's is now compared to to Co op. My usual loaf was 50p more expensive at Sainsbury's and 2 pints of milk 45p more expensive.

Coop are crooks who hold people in rural areas to ransom. Hate them with a passion.

I live in a large suburb of Brum (so the opposite of a rural area!) and we've had a big Co-op on the High St for over a hundred years. However it has recently closed down and it's probably largely due to the ridiculous prices charged especially as a Lidl opened just a 5 minute walk away. It seems a shame though as Co-op were pioneers for Fairtrade goods in UK supermarkets and they seem to have good ethical policies.

@BringBackVanillaIceCreamMonsterMunch

they seem to have good ethical policies

Nothing ethical about building brand new stores in small towns and villages which cause the existing shop(s) to close down once they've stolen the trade.

At least other "small" franchise convenience stores tend to buy existing stores and convert them to their franchise, but Co Op don't do that, they build new.

In many rural areas Co-ops are proper supermarkets

Yes, CO-OP service more rural areas, which is more expensive to do.

At least other "small" franchise convenience stores tend to buy existing stores and convert them to their franchise, but Co Op don't do that, they build new.

CO-OP do both. If they build new it's because there isn't somewhere they can buy, or is big enough for them in the local area. It is quicker, cheaper and easier to renovate than new build. That is their first choice if the right space is available.

"Nothing ethical about building brand new stores in small towns and villages which cause the existing shop(s) to close down once they've stolen the trade."

But people must want the co-op more than the existing shops, if they are choosing to shop there instead.
I'm not sure you can blame co-op - they are providing an option that customers are free to reject if it's unwanted.

I don't agree with you there I'm afraid.

I don't live in an affluent area. The co-op have a local monopoly as it's a drive to any alternative. Bus services have been cut If you can't drive or struggle with your mobility then you have no choice but to shop there. They take complete advantage of that.

The one near me is more expensive for basics than Waitrose.

Our local Co Op is now a B&M but it was always extortionate.

Our Coop is very good value. It's probably because it stocks lots of Coop brand items which are cheap so e.g. Cornflakes large packet £1 Kellogues £3.50! All Coop own brand will be considerably cheaper than branded. Members offers very good.

@FaeryQueen Any business in an area with a captive market will price accordingly. An independent corner shop wouldn't necessarily be cheaper or better. I'd view the co- op in your area as meeting a need - if it wasn't needed, it would close.

Coop is very exp - would never do a proper shop there. Try to avoid it for even bread milk etx

Very expensive but often have the monopoly in small rural towns with poor transport links where pensioners and others have no choice. The one in my nearest town has even bought up a large site that other supermarkets were interested in just to stop them.

You said " they are providing an option that customers are free to reject if it's unwanted."

The point is that the least privileged levels of society cannot reject it and they are taking full advantage of that.

That blows any claims to being "ethical" right out of the water. .

It depends what you buy, some things are cheaper than Sainsburys or similar price to Aldi/Lidl, others are more expensive. The quality is always pretty good. Reductions are usually good.

It would be Pampers in the co-op rather than own brand in a large supermarket.nappies have always been extortionate in convenience stores, it’s a money spinner as the kind of thing people will pay over odds for when they run out as they are really needed.

I’m in a Welsh city and the Co-op is the only supermarket that sells Caerphilly cheese!

For all the co-op defenders... This is why people in rural areas don't like the co-op! Not only are they very expensive but the deliberately block other supermarkets from opening nearby, and now they've admitted over 100 breaches of rules meant to prevent that kind of anti-competitive behaviour.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/05/co-op-admits-blocking-rivals-from-setting-up-nearby-shops?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

other supermarkets have done the same.

Other supermarkets aren’t pretending to be ethical like the Co op!

In a small town 9 miles from me there’s only a Co-op supermarket, no other supermarket unless you travel 8 miles to the nearest one. Their prices are extortionate imo, there’s no other choice for residents unless you can drive or shop online.

You need to shop around, I generally buy large items like that from Amazon when they are on offer, I don't buy nappies but I guess it is similar to buying toilet rolls and cleaning materials which are generally cheaper on Amazon in bulk