Tescos vs Sainsburys. Price and quality.

Peartree

Neither. Tesco crack on they are the best priced but for most things they aren't. Sainsbury crack on that they are better quality but they aren't and many products are overpriced and mediocre (particularly the 'taste the difference' range). I'd say the range in each store is pretty similar. It depends what you buy, of course. Generally the price matching is based on a narrow range of the top 'branded' products.

If you want the best prices don't go to either (the discounters and Asda are better). If you want the best quality, particularly if you are a bit of a foodie, shop around - round my way we are lucky enough to have Booths which is no more expensive than Sainsbury but infinitely better, with an interesting range and good local products. Don't necessarily equate quality and price (in my experience some Aldi products are much better quality than their competitors but much cheaper). You can decide if you want Jamie Oliver's fee factored into the prices you pay! I tend to shop around - some things in Booths, some things in Aldi, some things in Lidl, some things in Morrisons, with a main shop of basics in Asda and an occasional pop in to Sainsbury, as it is closest to home, based mainly on quality/taste but then on price where that is less of an issue.

Luckily for me they are all accessible on a 'pop in quickly on the way home from work' basis. I do occasionally go into Tesco if I'm near one but usually to look at the non-food.

Of course, shopping around isn't necessarily convenient and that is why Tesco and Sainsbury do so well - you are compromising to get everything under the same roof. What does make me cross is that my local Sainsbury has signs everywhere price matching with Tesco - we don't have a Tesco in my town and the Sainsbury is only two miles from an Asda which doesn't get a mention!

chocolatechipcookies

Fruit and vegetables from both shops suck, buy local.

Peartree

PS Just a final thought. One reason I do pop into my Sainsbury regularly, even though I 'don't like it', is that it is a small branch versus the next nearest supermarket, Asda, which is huge.

When you just need a pint of milk, a lettuce and a loaf of bread, by the time you've parked, you end up walking half a mile to get the essentials in the farthest flung corner of these superstores, through the books, past the TVs, past the clothes aisles, past the deep sea diving equipment.... and then back again, it is exhausting.

Am I getting old or do other people pick their shopping destination less on price or quality and more on how tired they are feeling or whether their shoes are hurting that day?!!

shaileytuff

We have a large tescos and a sainsburys savacentre near us and tend to shop in both, although i don't like the fruit and veg in sainsburys their nectarines are never as nice as tescos but there butcher does some fab reductions first thing on a tuesday i go and buy up all my meat for the week

JasonLVC

Huge fan of Sainsburys. The stores are smaller with a much more focused range of products and some really interesting products, foreign foods, etc.

They are, imho, marginally dearer than Tesco/Asda. Used to shop at Tesco/Asda but got sick and tired of cooking chicken which was cheap, but tastless, pork chops that had no flavour at all, etc. Meat in Sainsburys tastes much nicer (not as good as farmers markets though). Fruit and Veg just seems a bit better quality too (again, not as good as local market). Some good bargains, but I do shop at Aldi for household stuff like bleach, toilet rolls, etc.

Most importantly, the stores are not jam packed to the rafters with chavs and ignorant people pushing past you or blocking up the isles talking to their mates (unlike my local Asda which is like an extension of the Job Centre, full of teens with prams and hoodies hanging around outside the door with fags on waiting for their birds to come back with cans of lager).

Appreciate that it's all subjective of course. I'd shop at Waitorse if there was one closer and I didn;t need to take a mortgage out to shop there.

kittyscarlett

Im my experience, Sainsbury's slightly has the edge on quality of fruit/veg etc on Tesco's but is more expensive. I don't actually like either. Whilst on and off for some years I did shop at Tesco's, two years ago I vowed never to go in one again and have kept to it, Sainsbury's I will go to maybe 3 or 4 times a year.

I prefer Waitrose which has the best quality goods and is not as expensive as people might think - also for some things I prefer not to exercise false economy, I'd rather pay a few pence more and get something I won't be wanting to throw in the bin because its horrible. Sadly I now do not live near a Waitrose, its a rather tedious bus ride away so that's an occasional treat. I am fortunate in having a good selection of local shops nearby so those and the corner Co-op keep me going. ( the Co-op I find expensive and generally poor quality on most things but *sigh* its the convenience )

gunsandbanjos

JasonLVC wrote: »

Most importantly, the stores are not jam packed to the rafters with chavs and ignorant people pushing past you or blocking up the isles talking to their mates (unlike my local Asda which is like an extension of the Job Centre, full of teens with prams and hoodies hanging around outside the door with fags on waiting for their birds to come back with cans of lager).

Totally agree!!!!!
Usually shop in either tesco or sainsburys, but was sent some really good money off vouchers for asda so i thought i'd give it a go...
Never again, i understand they are clearly catering to the clientele they receive but the selection of fresh produce was rubbish!!
There did however seem to be biscuits and cakes in every aisle!!!???

Neiliboy

I think you need a degree in some obscure Eastern European language to get by in our local Asda!!

I try to use smaller traders where possible - its a great shame fishmongers, greengrocers, butchers and bakers are now as rare as rocking horse sh*t

philldutton

Both stores seem the same price on most things, but I find Sainsburys value stuff and fruit/veg better quality. Plus I love the Sainsburys bakery bread.

Vindiesel

SB wins hands down... the quality is much better..on that note, it IS better at Asda too in fact. SB is dearer than Tesco, and asda cheaper than both..asda also seem to have much better and varied offers on too..just wisjh they had more on fresh fruit and veg.

Oh, Asda do a LOt of own brand organic products- reasonably priced too. I know i am drifting from the point, but SB ared netter than Tesco :-)