Are they bananas? Tesco checkout ploy doubles their price

SHOPPERS have reacted with anger after Tesco doubled the price of a single banana to 25p at some of its stores.

The supermarket chain blamed high rents in inner city areas for the increase.

Previously, it charged by weight rather than per fruit, with customers paying 76p per kilogram at Tesco Metro stores. This worked out to about 10- 15p per banana depending on its size.

Shoppers expressed their frustration with the new prices on social media.

Twitter user Josh asked Tesco: ‘Why have you stopped charging bananas by weight? The only healthy thing that is practical to eat on the go being sold at a premium, yet choc and sweets all massively discounted.’

Avril Deane said: ‘Every little helps, Tesco? Not when you’re now charging 25p per single banana in our local store instead of by the kilo? You must think we are stupid!’ Paul Cragg also added: ‘ Tell us about the great banana rip-off! As if the public aren’t finding things hard enough. Aren’t you making enough money?’ The change in pricing took effect at Tesco’s 176 Metro stores last week. It has been selling bananas for 25p each at its 1,700 Express outlets for some time.

The Metro stores are smaller than its traditional supermarkets – which it calls Superstores – and the Express outlets are smaller still.

A spokesman for Tesco said: ‘ Due to the higher costs involved in operating our Express and Metro stores, there is a small premium on a number of products. Our convenience stores are in prime, central locations where leases are more expensive in comparison to out-of-town Extras and Superstores.’ He said it had no plans to roll out the price change to larger sites.

The retail giant has almost 3,500 shops across Britain of which around 2,700 are convenience stores.

Figures released earlier this month showed the price of some supermarket fruit and vegetables has gone up due to effects of the heatwave, combined with the cold spring.

The UK had its driest first half of summer since 1961 and farmers warned that the prolonged arid conditions had damaged crops.

The average supermarket price of broccoli is up 25.8 per cent per kilo year on year to £1.54, according to figures reported by The Grocer from analysts Brandview.