What difference do loyalty cards make at the supermarket checkout?

If you find yourself groaning at higher prices in the supermarket each week, you could cut costs by signing up for their loyalty schemes.

Consumer group Which? has compared the prices of 245 popular branded items from big names like Mr Kipling, Heinz and Nescafe.

And it revealed that you might end up paying much more if you don’t have a loyalty card, especially if you shop at Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

What difference does a loyalty card make?

On average, the list of branded goods was most expensive at Sainsburys - costing £942.66.

But if you have a Nectar card, the cost drops dramatically to £848.56.

Similarly, the same branded items cost £916.56 at Tesco.

However, the price fell to £837.43 with a Clubcard.

It’s also notable that the cost of the branded goods was higher at Sainsbury’s and Tesco than at Waitrose.

Shoppers at Waitrose would spend £899.05 for the same items, even though it’s almost a byword for an upmarket, premium shop.

That’s a surprising result - and something that Which? says “would have seemed unthinkable until a few years ago”.

But we should stress that Asda was found to be cheapest overall, without any loyalty discount applied, as it charged £823.58 for the 245 branded items.

So a loyalty card isn't always needed if you want to pay less.

Shop around for the best deals

If you have branded items on your shopping list that you can’t live without, it could be worth looking at different supermarkets to see which stores offer the best prices.

“If you’ve got your heart set on specific brands, your best bet is to shop around,” said Reena Sewraz of Which?

She also suggests keeping a close eye on the unit price and stocking up if you see a good deal.

“Otherwise, you’re likely to end up paying way over the odds,” Ms Sewraz stated.

She added that while loyalty cards “definitely offer some savings”, people who don’t have one are “better off heading to Asda, where the pricing is usually cheaper on a range of branded goods”.

What else can I do to keep costs down?

If you’re struggling with the cost of your weekly shop, check out our guide on how to create a budget.

By keeping an eye on how much money you’ve got coming in and going out, you can prioritise your spending and know how much you can afford.

We’ve also put together some handy tips on how to keep the cost of your weekly shop down, which could help your money go further.