Nationwide supermarket price database?

[LA3G]

Is there anywhere online I can find a database listing the price of items sold in supermarkets the likes of Dunnes and Aldi so I can make a list and know what to buy where?

Short of this I'll just have to compile one myself from receipts...

[Davy]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...255364741.html - Monday, September 28, 2009

The NCA wants consumers to have more timely information on supermarket pricing than the costly biannual surveys it publishes. It wrote to Tesco, Spar, Dunnes Stores, Superquinn, Supervalu, Aldi and Lidl and, while nothing has happened yet, a spokeswoman for the NCA told Price Watch last week that dialogue was ongoing between it and the retailers and the project was “still very much on the cards”.

Nothing happened yet

[rameire]

There was something in the news on the wireless yesterday, that said the thing had fallen through as none of the retailers would sign up to an ongoing data base of retail prices.

[MOH]

I think there is (or was) a website knocking around somewhere where someone was compiling the data themselves, was mentioned in Pricewatch. Think there was a membership fee of ten quid a year or so (I remember that cos Pricewatch printed it as 10 quid a month, which probably killed the site).

[edit] Quick google search found it - http://smartshopper.ie - 12 quid for the year

[LA3G]

Originally Posted by MOH

I think there is (or was) a website knocking around somewhere where someone was compiling the data themselves, was mentioned in Pricewatch. Think there was a membership fee of ten quid a year or so (I remember that cos Pricewatch printed it as 10 quid a month, which probably killed the site).

[edit] Quick google search found it - http://smartshopper.ie - 12 quid for the year

Thanks for the info guys.

It's worth the €12 per year right? I had wrongly expected a database out there, if there was one, to be free. I find it bitter sweet spending money to save money

[MOH]

Originally Posted by LA3G

Thanks for the info guys.

It's worth the €12 per year right? I had wrongly expected a database out there, if there was one, to be free. I find it bitter sweet spending money to save money

Never used it, but I think there's a trial period available.

[monkeypants]

Originally Posted by LA3G

I had wrongly expected a database out there, if there was one, to be free. I find it bitter sweet spending money to save money

I get your point, but maintaining databases costs money and no supermarket chain is going to fund it. It's better for them if it's inconvenient for you.

[valueireland]

Referring to the Irish Times article above, the National Consumer Agency have recently given up their efforts to create a grocery price comparison database and website.
They couldn't get the co-operation of the main players - they obviously weren't keen on handing over their pricing data.

This was attempted in Australia recently, and almost went ahead, but again the grocery chains put a stop to the whole thing.

Best way to maintain market advantage - ensure clarity in pricing is prevented.

[monkeypants]

Originally Posted by valueireland

Best way to maintain market advantage - ensure clarity in pricing is prevented.

That sums it up perfectly. Why do you think that mobile price plans cannot be compared? It's no accident.

[rubadub]

Originally Posted by valueireland

Referring to the Irish Times article above, the National Consumer Agency have recently given up their efforts to create a grocery price comparison database and website.
They couldn't get the co-operation of the main players - they obviously weren't keen on handing over their pricing data.

This just goes to show none is particularly cheaper than the other, if they were the cheapest one would jump at the chance of getting top of an independent list. Dunnes own slogan is very telling "the difference is we're Irish", -got it in one Ben! they don't even try and brag about being cheaper, there is feck all difference, just the fact you are Irish.

The previous NCA comparisons are a joke, this came up before and I pointed out the SERIOUS flaw. They ignore offers! no joking, they "shop" like nobody I know, so on their list tesco were not top, but if they recognised the offers they would have topped the list. i.e. they have a shopping list and if the item is on offer in a supermarket they buy it, but list down the "before" price! Now anybody clued into how shops work know that often before an item is reduced it is often increased in price so the offer appears even better. Also many shops tend to have more stuff "on offer" than others, e.g. tesco have far more "advertised offers" than lidl in my experience.

This was my theory why tesco no longer advertise their best offers at all, so they can be included in these stupid surveys and appear better than others (whose offers are advertised, and hence ignored by the NCA).

[MunsterCycling]

Originally Posted by rubadub

> SNIP

Dunnes own slogan is very telling "the difference is we're Irish", -got it in one Ben! they don't even try and brag about being cheaper, there is feck all difference, just the fact you are Irish.

> SNIP

Em, hate to break it to you but Ben was booted out years ago after his coke and hookers episode in Florida, chain has fallen to bits ever since, crap quality and little or no leadership

[seamus]

Originally Posted by valueireland

They couldn't get the co-operation of the main players - they obviously weren't keen on handing over their pricing data.

Well of course not. To a certain extent there's a competitive issue - their competitors can easily hammer them on particular items.

More importantly though, and as you point out, they have very little to gain in doing so. Although (afaik) the concept of "loss leaders" was legislated against, they still rely very heavily on drawing people in with cheaper goods and hammering them for profit on the other ones. People don't want to shop in multiple places, so they'll go where they get the most perceived value.

So if Tesco are selling staples such as bread and milk for 10c cheaper than Superquinn, but things like toiletries are 10c dearer in Tesco, the consumer will end up paying more, but feel they're getting better value on the staples.

If you could compare prices, people would start using one shop for their staples, another for their toiletries, another for their cleaning products....and so on, and profits will drop.

The only way to get shops to co-operate with this is legislation.

[MunsterCycling]

Legislation will never happen in this area in Ireland too many vested interests with cheque books!

[Xterminator]

Nothing is cheaper in superquinn IMO. (except promotions i suppose. )

Another problem with surveys are its not simple to compare like with like, due to own brands etc.

I have noticed that branded items like Kelloggs/batchelors etc are usually a couple of cents cheaper in dunnes than tesco/lidl/aldi, but if you happy with own brand or value branded goods, then tesco/lidl/aldi have more of these product ranges than dunes or supervalu or superquinn, and you save a few quid a week.

so finding out that kellogs cornflakes are 2c cheaper in dunnes doesnt do a whole lot for me.

[rubadub]

Originally Posted by Xterminator

Another problem with surveys are its not simple to compare like with like, due to own brands etc.

The NCA ones listed specific brands, I think they separated them. The problem is lack of clarity, you might prefer say coke to pepsi, but only slightly, so if pepsi was 99C and coke was €2 you would go with pepsi -but could miss it on a list.

Ideally you would add items to a virtual basket and it would show the price -but it should also point out alternatives which are particularly cheap, sort of like a amazon "people who bought this also bought", but rather "people who usually buy coke are now buying pepsi".

If you could compare prices, people would start using one shop for their staples, another for their toiletries, another for their cleaning products....and so on

I've always done this, I have a great memory for prices. I have no brand loyalty, many own brands are as good or better than branded ones, some are muck of course. If the difference is worth it I pay it.