Alert issued for those visiting Tesco or Morrisons express shops.

Do you ever find yourself making frequent trips to your nearby express supermarket for last-minute purchases instead of including them in your weekly grocery run? If so, be warned – those convenience stops can add up and end up costing you more than if you had purchased everything at a larger supermarket.

According to consumer website Which?, opting for convenience stores over larger supermarkets could result in spending up to 20% more. In a survey conducted by the consumer champion site, over half of the respondents admitted to shopping at convenience stores at least once a week. Stores like Tesco Express, Morrisons Daily, and Sainsbury's Local are popular choices for these quick stops.

Which? compared the prices of popular grocery items at three convenience stores – Morrisons Daily, Sainsbury’s Local, and Tesco Express – to their prices at full-sized supermarkets. They also took into account any discounts offered to loyalty scheme members, such as Morrisons More, Sainsbury’s Nectar, and Tesco Clubcard.

Out of 42 branded and own-label products commonly available at convenience stores, the biggest price difference was found at Morrisons. Which? discovered that consumers pay an average of 21% more for the same groceries at Morrisons Daily compared to its larger supermarket. For example, a 400g tin of own-label chickpeas was 104% more expensive at the convenience store – priced at £1 compared to 49p at the supermarket.

Another notable price difference was for a 165g tub of Philadelphia soft cheese, which cost £2.58 at Morrisons Daily compared to £1.58 at the supermarket. Overall, the basket of groceries at Morrisons Daily averaged £16 more, which could add up to an extra £832 over the course of a year if purchased once a week.

While Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco offer discounts to loyalty scheme members, the prices were still found to be higher at convenience stores. For example, a pack of six Mr Kipling Bakewell Slices was £2.32 on average at Tesco Express but only £1.50 at Tesco supermarkets for Clubcard holders – a 54% difference. Similarly, a 500g bag of own-label fusilli was 20p cheaper at a larger Sainsbury’s supermarket compared to Sainsbury’s Local.

In total, loyalty scheme members could end up paying around £11 more at Sainsbury’s Local and £10 more at Tesco Express for the same groceries compared to their larger stores – adding up to over £500 extra over a year. The price difference was slightly less for non-loyalty scheme members, with an average of 10% more at Tesco and 5% more at Sainsbury's.

However, there were a few items that were actually cheaper at convenience stores, such as a 180g bag of Doritos, a one litre bottle of Robinsons orange squash, and Kenco Millicano instant coffee at Morrisons Daily. Clubcard holders also received discounts of 14% and 6% on Nature Valley cereal bars and Heinz Tomato ketchup at Tesco Express.

Which?'s investigation concluded that Tesco Express was the cheapest of the convenience stores, but only for shoppers with a Clubcard. The average cost of the grocery basket for members was £108.28, compared to £117.30 for non-members. Sainsbury’s and Morrisons do not offer member-only discounts in their convenience stores, so the average cost for the grocery basket was the same for all customers – £111.83 at Sainsbury's and £119.29 at Morrisons.

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