Tesco Aisle

It was all about the discounts this week for Tesco as it launched its new Jack’s format - and claimed its first Grocer 33 pricing win since the beginning of August.

Tesco’s £53.76 total was £4.15 cheaper than second-placed Asda this week. However this does not point to a new shift towards an everyday low pricing strategy which it indicated would be the case when it ditched Brand Guarantee in the summer. Just as with its previous victory on 3 August, it was promotions that sealed the deal.

Tesco offered the lowest price for 15 items, with six of these exclusively cheapest, while in the case of Asda it was 17 products, of which 10 were cheaper than any other retailer.

What Tesco did have more of than its rivals was deals - a lot more in fact. Of the 33 items on our shopping list, 16 were on promotion at Tesco. Morrisons had 10 deals while Asda, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose had just six each.

The deals that made the difference this week for Tesco were on the Bulldog facewash, Dr Oetker pizza, Filippo Berio olive oil and Gillette shave gel, all of which were at least £1 cheaper than Asda.

The defeat proved costly for Asda in terms of price matching. The retailer’s Asda Price Guarantee is being scrapped on 3 October but this week it had to provide our shopper with a voucher worth £8.89.

Morrisons took third spot at £58.21. This was £4.45 more expensive than Tesco but just 30p more than Asda. It offered the lowest price for 10 items and beat all its rivals on the baby aubergine and Filippo Berio.

Sainsbury’s was exclusively cheapest for the runner beans and Cheestrings, and it came in £5.04 more expensive than Tesco at £58.80.

Waitrose was more than £11 more expensive than Tesco at £65.13.

First look: Inside Tesco’s new discount chain Jack’s, Chatteris

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