Shoppers buying milk at Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons warned

New research shows that shoppers buying essentials including milk in store from Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons are paying more in convenience stores than in the larger outlets

Customers purchasing milk at Tesco and Sainsbury's have been cautioned that they could be paying more depending on the location of their supermarket. The tradition of popping to the shop for a bottle of milk could prove costly if you rely on smaller 'convenience' supermarkets, even if the retailer is the same.

A new analysis from consumer magazine Which? compared the prices of 42 everyday items at larger supermarkets and their smaller 'local' or 'Extra' convenience store counterparts from the same retailers. It was found that all three supermarkets with smaller stores - Tesco, Sainsbury's, and Morrisons - charged 8 percent more for an identical bottle of milk.

Shoppers pay 8 percent more for two pints of own brand semi-skimmed milk at all three supermarkets' smaller chains, it revealed. Other items causing concern include Philadelphia soft cheese, which cost 63 percent more at Morrisons Daily than at Morrisons' regular supermarkets, 26 percent more at Tesco Express than Tesco, and 20 percent more at Sainsbury's Local than larger Sainsbury's.

Morrisons' own brand chickpeas were found to cost over twice as much - £1 versus 49p - at Morrisons Daily than at Morrisons' larger supermarkets, according to Which?, reports the Express.

However, a few items were cheaper at smaller stores - Doritos were 15 percent cheaper and Kenco Millicano instant coffee was 32 percent cheaper at Morrisons Daily.

Which? commented on the study findings: "While many of us choose to use convenience stores for top-up shops and food on the go, others have no choice but to use them. Just under a fifth of convenience store shoppers say their nearest large supermarket is too far away, and nearly one in eight don't own a car. Others say online shopping isn't an option for them."

They also shared insights from their research: "Last year, Which? mapped where people are most likely to struggle to access affordable food in our Priority Places for Food Index, developed with the Consumer Data Research Centre at the University of Leeds."

The organization highlighted that many of these areas face difficulties accessing larger supermarkets, creating a dependency on local convenience stores: "Many of these communities are characterised by poor proximity to large supermarkets, relatively poor online-delivery access and socio-economic barriers such as fuel poverty, all of which can lead to a greater reliance on convenience stores. Indeed, 66% of households earning less than £21,000 per year shop in a convenience store at least once a week."

Lastly, Which? relayed the response from Tesco regarding the matter: "When we put our findings to Tesco, it said its Express stores are mainly in built-up areas where rents, rates and operating costs are higher, and the difference in prices of some products reflect these increased costs. It also said customers make different 'shopper journeys' at Express stores, so it tailors Clubcard offers to suit customer shopping habits."

A Sainsbury's spokeswoman explained to PA the reason behind pricing discrepancies, stating: "There may be price differences between convenience stores and supermarkets. This is because our Sainsbury's Local stores, which tend to be located in city or town centre locations, often have higher operating costs relative to their size, such as rents and business rates."

Morrisons also commented on their pricing strategy: "We're always working hard to keep prices down and competitive for our customers while maintaining high standards and availability in all our stores. Last year, we became the first supermarket to introduce our budget 'Savers' range into Morrisons Daily stores nationwide."

Additionally, they addressed customer loyalty schemes: "We know our customers and business partners would like to see the More Card accepted in Morrisons Daily stores, so we are actively working on introducing the offer into our convenience estate in the coming months."