Shoppers using delivery apps to buy supermarket groceries are being charged up to twice as much compared to the price in stores, a consumer watchdog has warned.
A Which? investigation has found that customers buying everyday items on Deliveroo, Just Eat or Uber Eats were typically paying at least 20 per cent more.
And some goods were more than double in price when loyalty card discounts were taken into account.
The consumer group compared the prices of up to 50 popular grocery items from four supermarkets – Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose – against the three food delivery apps.
It found that Sainsbury’s Nectar members faced the biggest mark up as loyalty discounts are not passed on when using delivery platforms.
Shoppers using delivery apps to buy supermarket groceries are being charged up to twice as much compared to the price in stores, a consumer watchdog has warned
Nectar card holders paid an average of 45 per cent more on Uber Eats, 41 per cent more on Deliveroo and 40 per cent on Just Eat compared with shopping in-store.
Birds Eye cod fish fingers were £3 with a Nectar card, but £6.25 through all delivery sites and Quorn chicken nuggets were £1.75 for Nectar card holders but £3.50 on the apps.
The investigation also discovered that people shopping at Waitrose were paying a third more by shopping through Uber Eats instead of directly with the supermarket.
Pampers nappies and Tilda microwave basmati rice were some of the items that cost double the price in supermarkets.
Shoppers buying from Morrisons through Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat faced average price increases of around 27 per cent.
While shoppers at Asda who used Deliveroo and Uber Eats for their groceries saw a mark-up of 31 per cent and 28 per cent respectively.
And those using Just Eat to buy their Asda items faced an average price increase of 19 per cent.
Which? also examined Tesco’s Whoosh same-day home delivery service to see prices compared with buying directly from the supermarket.
It found Clubcard holders would have paid a quarter more on average for its list of groceries by using Whoosh versus shopping directly with the supermarket as some promotional prices were not available via the app.
And for those without the loyalty card, their essential items were 18 per cent more expensive using Whoosh.
It found that Sainsbury’s Nectar members faced the biggest mark up as loyalty discounts are not passed on when using delivery platforms
Delivery apps have surged in popularity since the pandemic, with more customers opting to do their shopping on them for ease but some experts believe the cost of this convenience is rapidly rising.
Which? Retail editor Reena Sewraz said: ‘Shoppers won’t be surprised that buying groceries through a delivery app will cost more than popping to the shops or ordering directly from the supermarket and for many, convenience is priceless when they are pressed for time.
‘But our research shows that in some cases customers could be paying more than twice as much for specific items as buying directly from the supermarket, so it’s worth working out how desperately you need to fast-track those nuggets, nappies and wine before you place your order.’
A Morrisons spokesman said several of the products highlighted by Which? were on promotion on its website during September, so the data was not a true reflection of the price differences.
The delivery platforms insisted their grocery partners set their own prices on the apps and that they are encouraged to set ‘fair pricing’.
