Delivery apps charge double for some supermarket groceries – Which?

Ordering supermarket groceries via a delivery app such as Deliveroo, Just Eat or Uber Eats could cost twice the price of buying directly from the same store, according to Which?

Meanwhile, Amazon is charging up to 45% more for Morrisons products than if they were bought from the supermarket’s own website, the consumer group found.

Which? acknowledged that ordering groceries from Deliveroo, Just Eat or Uber Eats is “undeniably convenient” and could be received in as little as 30 minutes, but warned it found “shocking” price differences across a range of products in its snapshot investigation.

It compared the price of a basket of 15 popular grocery items at five major supermarkets against the cost of ordering the same basket from the same supermarket to the same postcode via a delivery app, not including delivery fees.

Almost all of the items were either more expensive on the delivery apps or the same price.

In one case, a 250g pack of Country Life unsalted butter cost 45% more on Amazon.

The rapid delivery apps also charged a premium of as much as 106% in one instance.

The Which? basket, which included branded goods such as Doritos crisps alongside own-label milk and ready meals, would have cost £36.63 from Iceland, but getting the same items delivered from the same Iceland store by Just Eat would have cost £50.50, not including delivery fees – a 38% premium.

In some individual price differences, own-brand Fairtrade bananas cost 85p at Sainsbury’s and £1.75 on the three apps, Warburtons Toastie Thick Sliced White Bread cost £1 on Iceland’s website but £2 on Just Eat and Uber Eats, while Hovis Best of Both Medium Bread cost £1.19 on the Morrisons website but £2.05 from Uber Eats.

Other examples included Asda own-brand Pinot Grigio costing £7 on the supermarket’s website and £9.10 on all three apps.

Which? retail spokeswoman Ele Clark said: “Ordering groceries from Deliveroo, Just Eat or Uber Eats is undeniably appealing but the cost of this convenience could be double what you’d pay if you cut out the middleman.

“As well as the extra cost on your groceries, you’ll probably have a delivery fee too, so it’s worth weighing this up before ordering anything to your door.”

“Deliveroo always seeks to deliver great choice, availability and value for money to our customers, and we have agreed price-matching with our grocery partners including Morrisons, Co-op, Asda and more across hundreds of items.”

An Uber Eats spokeswoman said: “Everyone who partners with Uber Eats sets their own prices and we always encourage them to match the prices offered in-store.

“Customers who choose to order groceries via apps like ours do so because of the convenience, speed and choice on offer from rapid delivery.”

A Just Eat spokeswoman said: “At Just Eat, we want all of our customers to have a positive experience when ordering from our platform. We work with more than 75,000 partners across the UK, giving our millions of customers access to choice and convenience through a variety of local takeaway options, restaurant brands and grocery stores.

“As independent businesses, any restaurant or grocer using Just Eat are in control of their menus and set the prices they charge. We continue to work closely with our partners to bring value to our customers.”

Amazon said that all prices of products sold through the ‘Morrisons on Amazon’ service were set by Morrisons, and added that being able to shop for Morrisons groceries on Amazon offered customers fast delivery options and value.