Tesco has been identified by JesmondLocal as the cheapest supermarket in Jesmond, despite a longstanding reputation as “the most expensive Tesco in the country”.

We compared three major supermarkets: Tesco Express on Acorn Road, Sainsbury’s Local on Lonsdale Terrace and Little Waitrose on Osborne Road. Our comparison was based on a basket of 20 commonly purchased items, typically found in a weekly grocery shop.

We found Little Waitrose to be the most expensive of the three supermarkets. The total for our basket came to £30, consisting of a mix of items from the Waitrose Essentials range and a few branded products.

Little Waitrose on Osborne Road was the most expensive supermarket in our comparison

Sainsbury’s Local ranked in the middle of our comparison, with our basket of groceries costing £27.91. The majority of the items were from Sainsbury’s own-label collection, and none qualified for additional discounts with a Nectar loyalty card.

Tesco Express, we found, was the least expensive supermarket in Jesmond. Without a Clubcard, the total cost of the basket was £26.70. However, by using a free Clubcard, the price was reduced further to £25.95.

Tesco Express on Acorn Road was the cheapest supermarket to buy our basket of groceries

Many Jesmond residents expressed surprise at the findings, given Tesco’s reputation locally. Charlotte Wood, a third-year student at Newcastle University who lives nearby, said: “I’d always avoided the Jesmond Tesco, as I’d heard rumours that it was the most expensive Tesco in the country.”

Samuel Shotton, another Jesmond resident of Jesmond said: “I always just assumed Tesco would be more expensive than Sainsbury’s.”

Consumer magazine Which? conducts monthly price comparisons of eight major UK supermarkets across the country, using a basket of branded and own-label groceries, including food, drink and household products. In September 2024, Aldi was again named the UK’s cheapest supermarket, while Waitrose remained the most expensive over the year.

However, national trends do not always reflect local realities, as seen in Jesmond. According to Jason Ridyard, a supply chain executive at Morrisons, smaller convenience stores like Sainsbury’s Local, Tesco Express and Little Waitrose tend to be “more expensive to run”, because rent and property prices in urban areas, especially city centres, are typically higher. He also said that customers in these locations are often “not as cost-conscious”.