Is signing up to a warehouse club worth it?

QI COULD do with cutting my shopping bills – the daily stuff like food and cleaning materials.

I sometimes buy things at lower cost supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl, and I am generally happy with these when I go there, although not with everything.

A friend suggests that I should go to one of those discount cash and carry-style “warehouse clubs”. I can’t decide whether these places are a good or bad idea because people I know come up with different experiences.

I would be really grateful for some pointers. Rachel S

ATHE two best known “warehouse shopping clubs” in the UK are Costco and Makro. But there are many others – it’s an ever-changing scene with some opening and others shutting down.

It is fair to say that they have not taken as big a slice of our shopping pounds as many predicted in the 1980s when they first became big in the UK.

The most common model is membership with an annual fee – perhaps around £20. You have to show your card whenever you buy.

Some allow non-members to purchase but often this is 5-10% more. Warehouse shopping is really aimed at small businesses – such as newsagents selling some home essentials. Therefore, they can show prices before VAT as well as VAT inclusive.

It’s impossible to say whether they are cheaper than the high street, even excluding membership fees. They can be good value on some items – some cite toilet rolls – but can be pricier on wine.

But whatever you buy, it’s often in bulk. It’s hard to buy one croissant – it’s generally six or 10 or more so they can keep prices down – just as the traditional supermarkets offer discounts on wine, for instance, if you buy six bottles.

This is fine for large households or owners of very large freezers, otherwise, you risk losing any savings when food goes out of date. Likewise, you need plenty of home storage if you have to buy 20 kitchen rolls. You also need a large enough car – you can’t do this on foot, by bike or bus.

Finally, the big unanswerable is whether the quality on some items is the same, better or worse than your nearest supermarket.