STORERS buying popular health products can save up to half the price by buying them at the right time of year.
From toothpaste to deodorant, the cost of personal care items can vary dramatically from week to week, research by consumer campaign group Which? has shown.
1
Large price swings were found across top-selling brands for 15 products on high street stores, including Boots, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Superdrug, Tesco and Aldi.
Which? monitored charges between March 2023 and February this year, excluding multi-buy offers and loyalty pricing.
The research found that products are regularly on sale and shoppers can get good deals when they shop around for health products – and restock when the price is right.
For example, shoppers can get the best deals on sunscreen in the spring and summer, when demand is typically highest.
The biggest price difference was found at Asda, where Nivea Protect and Moisture Sun Lotion SPF 30 (200ml) cost £6 from April to August 2023, then more than doubled to £13 in September.
Prices of everyday items, such as toothpaste, also rose sharply.
Colgate’s Max White Ultimate Radiance toothpaste costs £11 to £25.20 in Waitrose all year round, while Asda and Boots usually price the product for £12.
In another case, Listerine Advanced Defense Gum Crisp Mint mouthwash cost just £3 and even £6 at Boots.
Sure Maximum Protection Clean Scent Anti-Perspirant deodorant costs between £3.35 and £5 at Asda and between £3.50 and £5.25 at Waitrose.
Drastic cost differences were also noted in the cost of shaving.
The Gillette Labs razor with exfoliating bar was £22.49 at Morrisons when it was the normal price. However, it was often marked down to £11.25, half that.
The price of allergy medications also varied considerably.
A pack of 30 Piriteze Hay Fever and Allergy Relief tablets at Waitrose was reduced in price from £11.50 to £8 between May and July 2023, before costing £11.55.
The most stable prices were found for the popular soap brands Carex and Palmolive, as well as for shower gel Radox.
How to score a bargain
Lana Clements, editor of SUN Savers, explains how to find a discounted item and score a bargain…
Sign up for the loyalty programs of the brands you regularly shop with.
Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other things.
When selling you can actually steal something.
Retailers often have periodic promotions that tie in with end-of-month paychecks or long weekends, so keep an eye out for these promotions and shop when they’re valid.
Sign up for mailing lists and you will also be the first to know about special offers. It may also be worth following retailers on social media.
When shopping online, always look for discount codes or vouchers that you can use. vouchercodes.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk are two sites that aggregate promotions by retailer.
Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. The Trolley.co.uk app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices of branded items when you go shopping.
Bargain hunters can also use B&M’s in-app scanner to search the store for discounts before staff put them out.
Always check if you are entitled to cashback before you pay. This means that you will get part of your money back or a discount on the item.
One of the more expensive health products the consumer champion looked at was condoms.
A pack of 12 Durex Real Feel Non Latex condoms has fluctuated between £11 and £18.15 at Waitrose throughout the year.
The price of the same product fluctuated by £5.50 at Superdrug and £5 at Boots, compared to their best in-store deals.
Asda was found to be the cheapest supermarket for health products overall, based on a comparison of 107 similar health and personal care products with Boots, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsburys, Superdrug, Tesco and Waitrose throughout the year.
Ele Clark, which retail editor, said: “Retailers are constantly changing the prices of products based on demand, seasonality, agreements with manufacturers and what their competitors are doing.
“The advice in this fast-moving market is to keep an eye on the prices of the products you buy regularly and stock up when the price is low – or ask yourself if you really need to have your favourite brand and consider switching to a cheaper product that can do the job just as well.”
Take advantage of the best deals
Just because something is on sale or on sale doesn’t always mean it’s a good deal.
There are plenty of comparison websites that will check prices for you, so don’t pay more than you have to.
Most of them compare prices from hundreds of retailers.
Here are some we recommend:
- Google Shopping is a tool that allows users to search and compare prices for products on the web. Simply type in keywords or a product number to get search results.
- Price Spy records the history of how much something costs at over 3,000 different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and supermarkets. Once you select an individual product, you can quickly compare which stores have the best price and which ones have it in stock.
- Ideal is another website that allows you to compare prices between retailers. All shoppers have to do is search for the item they need and the website ranks them from cheapest to most expensive.
- CamelCamelCombI only work on goods sold on Amazon. To use it, enter the URL of the product you want to check the price of.
Do you have a money problem that needs solving? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories