CHOCO LOT
Cheapest place to buy Quality Street tubs this week – and it’s not Aldi or Asda
You'll often need a membership card to score the best bargain
QUALITY Street tubs have already landed on shelves as the countdown to Christmas begins.
The treat-filled tins are a big hit over Christmas and are often used as gifts for loved ones or to graze on as the nights draw in.
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Usually, the octagonal tins don't make an appearance on supermarket shelves until the winter months but recently they have started cropping up as early as July.
They can retail for up to £6 at most retailers but if you are savvy there are chances to nab them for a bargain.
Shoppers have noticed the pricey sweets for sale at supermarket Tesco.
";It’s that time of year to stock up," wrote one bargain hunter in a social media post.
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The UK's biggest supermarket is running an offer where you can pick up a 600g tub of £3.95 but the offer is not available to everyone.
To cash in on the deal you will need to scan your Tesco Clubcard at the till otherwise you'll have to pay £6.
This offers a saving of £2.05.
The loyalty scheme allows shoppers to earn points as they shop, which can be turned into money off food or other items.
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Quality Street tubs are available to buy at a discount from Tesco supermarkets and online.
But if you order via the website you will have to factor in delivery costs.
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It is important to shop around to make sure you are not missing out on a better bargain elsewhere.
So, is Tesco the cheapest place to buy Quality Street this week?
The Sun has taken a look to find out.
Asda
Supermarket Asda is also stocking Quality Street tubs, but they do not have any tubs on offer.
So if you buy from here you will have to pay the full price of £6.
When on the hunt for a bargain it is important to not only look at the retail price but the unit price as well.
What is unit pricing?
Unit prices make it easier for shoppers to compare similar items of different sizes.
You should be able to see the product's unit price where its price tag is shown - it may be in small print.
It displays the cost of different products by weight, or volume.
It helps you easily compare the costs of different products, regardless of their respective sizes.
Compare this with the unit price of a similar item - for example, the cost per 100ml or two different types of cola - and choose the item with the lowest unit cost.
For example at Tesco, a pack of 15 330ml cans of Coca-Cola Zero is priced at £7.90.
The unit price is shown as 16p per 100ml.
Shoppers can compare this original price to a 2litre bottle of Coca-Cola Zero which is priced at £1.85, and labelled as 9p per 100ml.
Those with a Clubcard can get the same multipack of cans for the lower price of £6.
But there is no label showing the equivalent price per 100ml.
It would work out as 12p per 100ml, making the bottle better value overall despite the discount.
The changes Tesco is making will make this clear on shelves.
Stores must show unit pricing under legislation known as the Price Marking Order 2004.
With this in mind, paying close attention to the unit prices of the staples in your shopping trolley could save you a fortune in the long term.
Unit prices make it easier for shoppers to compare similar items of different sizes and choose the best deal.
You can usually see the unit cost of the product where its price is shown - it may be in the small print.
In this instance, Asda is charging £1 per 100g on its biggest 600g tub.
This is compared to Tesco's Clubcard offer which is currently asking for 66p per 100g.
So in this instance, Tesco is cheaper.
Aldi
German discounter Aldi is also selling Quality Street tubs for £4.49.
They are only available to shop in-store so it is worth ringing up ahead of time to see what stock is available.
The tubs are £1.51 cheaper than what Asda and Tesco charge at full price.
When looking at the unit price, it comes in at 75p per 100g.
This is 25p cheaper than Asda's but remains pricier than Tesco's offer of 66p per 100g.
However, it is the second cheapest place to currently buy the sweets.
Sainsbury's
The nation's second-largest supermarket is also charging £6 for a 600g chocolate tub.
But there is a chance to nab a bargain.
If you have a Nectar Card you can pick up the tin for £4.50, offering a saving of £1.50.
If you take the unit price into account it works out at £1 per 100g if you pay full price.
Alternatively, it will cost 74p per 100g if you scan your loyalty card.
Tesco's offer for Clubcard holders is still the cheapest by around 8p.
What other stores are selling Quality Street tubs?
A number of other supermarkets are selling tubs of Quality Street, but Tesco has continued to come out on top.
These include:
- Morrisons - £6
- Ocado - £5
- Iceland - £6
Supermarkets tend to run offers on chocolate and other sweets in the run-up to Christmas so it is always worth keeping your eyes peeled.
Shopping around for the best bargain
When hunting for a deal it is important to shop around to make sure you are not being overcharged.
There are plenty of comparison websites out there that'll check prices for you - so don't be left paying more than you have to.
Most of them work by comparing the prices across hundreds of retailers.
For example, Google Shopping is a tool that lets users search for and compare prices for products across the web. Simply type in keywords, or a product number, to bring up search results.
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Price Spy also logs the history of how much something costs from over 3,000 different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and the supermarkets.
Once you select an individual product you can quickly compare which stores have the best price and which have it in stock.
How to save money on chocolate
WE all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don't have to break the bank buying your favourite bar.
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs...
Go own brand - if you're not too fussed on flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you'll save by going for supermarket's own brand bars.
Shop around - if you've spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it's cheaper elsewhere.
Websites like Trolley.co.uk let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you're getting the best deal.
Look out for yellow stickers - supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they've been reduced.
They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best before date or the packaging is slightly damaged.
Buy bigger bars - most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar.
So if you've got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.
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