A new study has revealed significant mark-ups on fruit, vegetables and other products in three major supermarkets' local stores.

Loose lemons cost 31p each in a Tesco Express meanwhile the price in the main store is 25p, a premium of 15 per cent, according to the Daily Mail.

Carrots in a local branch in Wandsworth, south London cost £1.36 a kilogram whereas the same amount of loose carrots in a main Tesco store in Leeds only costs 74p.

Even larger premiums were revealed, by the Daily Mail's survey, in Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer stores, which are usually in more expensive areas.

Bananas cost 18p each in a Sainsbury's Local, or 54p for 580 grams. One kilogram of bananas at its main store only costs 55p, a 69 per cent premium.

Kantar Wolrdpanel director Bryan Roberts, believes supermarkets are targeting customers who have the disposable income and who don't pay attention to the difference in price.

Roberts said: 'There are few of what we in the food industry call "known-value items" among the younger generation any more. Unlike our grandparents' generation where everyone would know the price of everything and would shop around for the sake of a few pence, these stores are catering for a generation that has become oblivious to the price of even the most basic products.”

A spokesman for M&S refused to accept the prices were unfair. He said: ''In any given location our prices will be competitive with other retailers in the local area.”

Tesco and Sainsbury’s also claimed they were unable to offer the same promotions in the local branches as their big superstores because the smaller stores would be unable to stock enough to meet the demand.

Topics