How to save money on your Christmas gifts

Whilst Christmas is an exciting and fun-filled time of year for many people it can also fill many people with dread, particularly in the current climate where money has been really tight for so many households. Read more

Tags: save money, number, christmas gifts, money saving tips, supermarkets, day, scheme, special event

Oxfam branded the ‘Tesco of the book industry’

Charity shop Oxfam has come under fire recently by a number of specialist and small book sellers, who claim that the charity is putting them out of business. Read more

Tags: second-hand booksellers, problem, oxfam, charity shop oxfam, supermarkets, book stores, high street shops, tesco

How to Save Money When Buying Groceries

In just about every household the largest expense is that of food. And, with the rising food prices many are finding it harder and harder to manage to buy the same foods in the same quantities as they once did. The price rise in food in the past year was well above the official inflation rate at an average of 5.9%. Read more

Tags: significant savings, supermarket guide, price, mysupermarket, buying, lowest price

Online shopping wars could start between supermarkets

It is thought that one supermarket may have sparked an online shopping war between the UK’s supermarket giants after announcing that it is eliminating delivery charges associated with having groceries that are ordered online delivered. Read more

Tags: good news, UK's supermarket giants, supermarket giants, groceries, current climate, online shopping, supermarkets

Tesco lost out to supermarket giants over Christmas

One of the leading supermarkets in the UK has admitted that over the Christmas period it lost out to its rival supermarket giants, with the weakest sales growth in nearly two decades. In the run up to Christmas sales levels for Tesco only went up by around 2.5 percent, which was far less than its rival supermarkets. Read more

Tags: year, tesco, British Retail Consortium, sales figures, price, supermarkets, interest

Budget minded consumers heading to discount stores

The many different price hikes that have been encountered by consumers in the UK over recent months have had a very damaging effect on household finances, and most families have found it difficult to make ends meet each month due to increasing petrol prices, energy usage costs, borrowing costs, and bills. However, one of the things that has put particular strain on many household budgets is the soaring cost of food, with food inflation having rocketed over the past year, adding hundreds of pounds onto the average annual grocery bill. Read more

Tags: Iceland, budget stores, Aldi, supermarkets, Lidl, Netto

Supermarkets try to win back customers from discount stores

Over the past year households have been facing a tough time in relation to their finances, with soaring inflation and bills coupled with tighter credit conditions impacting hugely on household budgets. Amongst the products that have seen prices rocket are food products, and for many households the cost of the weekly or monthly shop has gone through the roof, making it even more difficult to make ends meet financially. Read more

Tags: discount stores, money, autumn, Lidl, measures

Supermarket giants try to entice customers back

With food prices having soared out of control, in addition to the range of other hikes in bills and living costs, many people have been struggling to make ends meet when it comes to the household budget. Consumers have tried to make a range of cutbacks in order to try and make their money stretch further, and for many this has meant switching from the more expensive supermarket giants such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, and Morrison’s, and turning to discount grocery stores such as Aldi, Netto, and Lidl. Read more

Tags: supermarkets, recent additions, price, credit crunch, official, tesco, Asda

Could supermarkets soon take over current accounts market?

There was a time when supermarkets were only used for the purchase of groceries and household goods, but all of this has changed over recent years.

Many leading supermarkets in the UK have really branched out over recent years, and have started offering an array of financial products and services, such as insurance services, loans, and credit cards, amongst others. Many offer savings accounts as well as banking services, providing the consumer with far more choice when it comes to finding the best financial products and services.

A recent survey has revealed just how popular supermarket financial services have become in the UK, indicating that one in every ten consumers has a supermarket savings account, and one in every five shoppers holds a supermarket credit card. The figures show just how much business supermarket giants such as Asda, Tesco, and Sainsbury’s have taken away from the major banks in the UK. Figures also indicate that if supermarkets decide to branch out further they could take away far more business from banks.

According to the results of the survey around half of consumers in the UK would like to see supermarkets branch out and offer more in the way of financial products, as most think that supermarkets can offer far better value and service on such services and products. Current accounts seemed to be of particular interest, and although only one in every two hundred consumers has a supermarket current account at present, if more supermarkets offer this facility they could end up with close to half of the 40 million current accounts in operation in the UK today.

One industry expert stated: “This is a massive unpicked cherry for supermarkets to target. With their low running costs, supermarkets can easily undercut other providers. They are already pinching customers from banks and in time could steal even more.”

Tom Smith
25th September 2007

Tags: supermarkets, savings, Insurance, current, products