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Shopper recreates 2020 food shop to see how much prices have changed

Shopper recreates 2020 food shop to see how much prices have changed

Prices from a 'Tesco big shop' in 2020 were compared to prices from the same haul in January 2023

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

A shopper has recreated a 2020 food shop to see how much costs have changed, finding the prices of many day-to-day essentials have skyrocketed in the past two years.

While some Brits are struggling to save up for a house these days (you know, thanks to all that avocado on toast and takeaway coffee), many are finding that the cost of everyday life is also becoming unbearable – from bills and petrol to basic groceries.

The Manchester Evening News crunched the numbers, having repeated the same ‘Tesco big shop’ from January 2020 to see how the cost of individual products had been affected in a post-Brexit, post-Covid world.

The journalist found that half of the 43 products had risen in price by 50 percent or more – the biggest being Tesco’s Angel Layer Cake, which went from 62p to £1.60 for a hike of 158 percent.

2020 prices were compared with 2023 equivalents.
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The supermarket’s Vanilla Cheesecake also went from £2 to £3.90 (95 percent), a 500g tub of Clover Light Spread 500g from £1 to £2.40 - or £1.75 Clubcard - (75 percent), and 1kg of Conchiglie Pasta Shells from £1 to £1.65 (65 percent).

While Tesco has argued that it was not a like for like comparison, saying some items that would have been included in promotions or reduced with a Clubcard might not longer be on offer.

However, the MEN said the haul included a number of products that were now on offer and weren’t on promotion in the original 2020 shop, in turn balancing this out.

The report found that a total of 36 out of 43 products had gone up in price since 2020, with just three remaining the same and four reducing in cost.

The reductions, the MEN explained, were all due to either an ‘Aldi price match’ or the Tesco Clubcard.

Some prices had risen by as much as 158 percent.
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In total, the increases marked a 35 percent rise overall, with the total bill going from £63.27 in 2020 to £85.44 this week.

Products that have increased in price since January 2020

Prices from January 2020 / prices from January, 2022 / prices from January 2023

  • Tesco Angel Layer Cake: was 62p / £1.35 / £1.60 (158 percent)
  • Soreen Original Malt Loaf 260g: was 60p / £1.20 / £1.40 (133.3 percent)
  • Pitch Chocolate 6 Pack: was 75p / £1.50 / £1.50 (100 percent)
  • Tesco Vanilla Cheesecake 540g: was £2 / £3.25 / £3.90 (95 percent)
  • Clover Light Spread 500g: was £1 / £2 / £2.40, or £1.75 Clubcard (75 percent)
  • Tesco Southern Fried Breaded Chicken Mini Fillets 305g: was £2 /£2.60 / £3.35 (67.5 percent)
  • Bassetts Jelly Babies 190g: was 90p / £1 (Clubcard) / £1.50 (66.7 percent)
  • Tesco Conchiglie Pasta Shells 1kg: was £1 / £1.30 / £1.65 (65 percent)
  • Aero Chocolate Mousse 4 x 59g: was £1 / £1.50 / £1.65 (65 percent)
  • Heinz Spaghetti & Sausages in Tomato Sauce 400g: was £1.25 / £1.40 / £2 (60percent)
  • Heinz Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce 4 x 415g: was £2.50 / £3 / £3.99 (with Aldi price match) (59.6 percent)
  • Breaded Chicken Goujons 270g: was £1.25 / £1.25 (with Aldi price match) / £1.99 (with Aldi price match) (59.2 percent)
  • Pot Noodle King Beef & Tomato 114g: was 70p / 99p / £1.10 (57.1 percent)
  • Mr Kipling Angel Slice 8 Pack: was £1.20 / £2.85 / £3.45, or £1.85 Clubcard (54.1 percent)
  • Tesco British Skimmed Milk 2.272l, 4pts: was £1.10 / £1.15 (with Aldi price match) / £1.65 (with Aldi price match) (50 percent)
  • Capri Sun No Added Sugar Orange 8 x 200ml: was £2 / £2.95 / £3 (50 percent)
  • Kp Hula Hoops Family 6 x 24g: was £1 / £1.75 / £1.75, or £1.50 Clubcard (50 percent)
  • Auntys Golden Syrup Puddings 2 x 95g: was £1 / £1.50 / £1.50 (50 percent)
  • Tesco Spirali Pasta 500g: was 65p / 70p / 95p (46 percent)
  • Richmond 8 Skinless Pork Sausages 213g: was £1.40 / £2 / £2 (42.9 percent)
  • Sure Men Active Antiperspirant Deodorant 250ml: was £1.40 / £1.75 / £1.99 (with Aldi price match) (42 percent)
  • Kellogg's Rice Krispies Cereal 700g: was £2.50 / £3.50 / £3.50 (40 percent)
  • Cadbury Twirl Chocolate Multipack 4 x 34g: was 90p / 98p / £1.25 (38.9 percent)
  • Tesco Chocolate Sticks (ice creams) 3 x 110ml: was £1 / £1.20 / £1.35 (35 percent)
  • Tesco Brown Onions Loose x 2: was 18p / 20p / 24p (33.3 percent)
  • Tesco British Large Whole Chicken 1.55-1.95kg: was £3.50 / £3.75 / £4.60 (31.4 percent)
  • Tesco 6 Strawberry Fruity Bakes 222g: was 95p / £1.05 / £1.20 (26.3 percent)
  • Highland Spring Sparkling Water 8 x 500ml: was £2 / £2.75 / £3 or £2.50 Clubcard (25 percent)
  • Tesco Finest 20 Mini Meatballs 336g: was £2.85 / £2.85 / £3.50 (22.8 percent)
  • Tesco Pure Orange Juice Smooth 4 x 1l: was £3 / £3.30 / £3.50 Clubcard (16.7 percent)
  • Tesco Italian Chopped Tomatoes 4 x 400g: was £1.39 / £1.60 (Clubcard) / £1.70 Clubcard (22.3 percent)
  • Mixed Sized Free Range Eggs 15 Pack: was £2 / £2 / £2.30 for 12 medium (15 percent)
  • Stella Artois 6 x 330ml Bottles: was £5 / £5 / £5.75 (15 percent)
  • Original Source Lemon & Tea Tree Shower Gel 250ml: was 90p / £1 / £1.50 or £1 Clubcard (11.1 percent)
  • Tesco Cool Tortilla Chips 200g: was 90p / 76p / £1 (11.1 percent)
  • Tesco Pre Pack Broccoli: was 65p / 49p (with Aldi price match) / 72p (10.8 percent)
Some of the products that were used.
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Products that have stayed the same in price since January 2020

  • 6 x Bananas Loose: was 84p / 78p / 84p (with Aldi price match) (0 percent)
  • Tesco Red Seedless Grapes 500g: was £2 / £2 / £2 (0 percent)
  • Richmond 8 Thick Pork Sausages 454g: was £1.50 / now £2 / £2.30, or £1.50 Clubcard (0 percent)

Products that have decreased in price since January 2020

  • Tesco Maris Piper Potatoes 2.5Kg was £2 / £1.15 (with Aldi price match) / £1.49 (with Aldi price match) (-65 percent)
  • Redmere Farms Carrots 1Kg was 59p / 40p (with Aldi price match) / 49p (with Aldi price match) (-16.9 percent)
  • Tesco Four Cheese & Garlic Flatbread 230G was £1.60 / £1.60 / £1.80, or £1.50 Clubcard (-6.25 percent)
  • Eastmans Wafer Thin Cooked Ham 400G was £1.70 / £1.59 (with Aldi price match) / £1.69 (with Aldi price match) (-0.6 percent)

Total: Jan 2020 - £63.27 / Jan 2022 - £76.94 / Jan 2023 - £85.44

Percentage increase: 2020 to 2023 - 35 percent / 2022 to 2023 - 11 percent

In total there was a 35 percent increase.
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Earlier this month Tesco announced a new price-lock commitment, saying it would freeze the price tags of more than 1,000 everyday items until Easter.

The supermarket giant also said it had ‘significantly increased the number of value lines' with its Aldi Price Match, Clubcard and Low Everyday Prices initiatives.

A spokesperson for Tesco said: “With household budgets under increasing pressure we are absolutely committed to helping our customers, by keeping a laser focus on the cost of the weekly shop.

“So whether it’s price matching Aldi on the basics, locking the price of more than a thousand household staples until Easter 2023, or offering exclusive deals and rewards through thousands of Clubcard Prices – we’re more committed than ever to providing our customers with great value.”

Featured Image Credit: Reach

Topics: UK News, Food And Drink

Jess is Entertainment Desk Lead at LADbible Group. She graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

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@Jess_Hardiman