The other week I was doing some digital decluttering when I came across an August 2015 receipt from Tesco for my online shopping. I thought it would be interesting to do a totally unscientific comparison of how food and household item prices have changed in the decade since.
This isn’t a controlled experiment or comparison. It doesn’t even compare all the fundamental items — it simply captures a selection of items we were buying as a family ten years ago, and compares them to the same (or equivalent) products in 2025, from the same retailer.
Even so, it reveals some interesting things. I don’t have all the receipts in between, and in any case would probably lose the will to live if I tried to look at price fluctuations over the intervening years.
For what it’s worth, here we go:
The Spreadsheet
Below is the complete table of items, with the price and quantity bought in 2015 and the nearest equivalent price and quantity in 2025. Where products are no longer available, I’ve picked the nearest alternative in terms of quantity and ‘level’ of product (economy, branded, etc.)
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| 2015 | 2025 | Price change | Unit change | Notes | ||||
Quantity | Product | Price | Qty | Unit | Price | Qty | Unit |
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1 | Tesco Everyday Value Sultanas 500G | £0.84 | 500 | g | £1.05 | 500 | g | 25.00% | 0.00% |
|
4 | Tesco Everyday Value Chopped Tomatoes 400G | £0.34 | 400 | g | £0.43 | 400 | g | 26.47% | 0.00% |
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1 | Pg Tips 240S Pyramid Teabags 696G | £5.50 | 696 | g | £5.25 | 609 | g | -4.55% | -12.50% | No longer sell pyramid, this is standard PG Tips down from 240 to 210 bags |
1 | Tesco Sandwich Pickle 620G | £1.15 | 620 | g | £1.45 | 295 | g | 26.09% | -52.42% | No longer sell 620g |
10 | Loose Brown Onions | £0.16 | 1 |
| £0.12 | 1 |
| -25.00% | 0.00% |
|
2 | Tesco Whole Cucumber Each | £0.49 | 1 |
| £0.89 | 1 |
| 81.63% | 0.00% |
|
1 | Tesco Little Gem Lettuce Twin Pack | £0.80 | 1 |
| £0.77 | 1 |
| -3.75% | 0.00% |
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1 | Clover Original Spread 1Kg | £2.00 | 1 | kg | £3.70 | 1 | kg | 85.00% | 0.00% |
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16 | Tesco Carrots Loose | £0.08 | 1 |
| £0.11 | 1 |
| 37.50% | 0.00% |
|
1 | Tesco Fine Cut Orange Marmalade 454G | £0.55 | 454 | g | £1.00 | 454 | g | 81.82% | 0.00% |
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3 | Hovis Wholemeal Medium Bread 800G | £0.78 | 800 | g | £1.39 | 800 | g | 78.21% | 0.00% |
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1 | Tesco British Semi Skimmed Milk 3.480L/6Pints | £1.48 | 6 | pt | £1.65 | 4 | pt | 11.49% | -33.33% | No longer sell 6pt |
1 | Tesco Red Cabbage Each | £0.52 | 1 |
| £0.79 | 1 |
| 51.92% | 0.00% |
|
1 | Tesco Everyday Value Mild White Cheese Medium | £3.08 | 1 |
| £2.79 | 400 | g | -9.42% | N/A | Was sold as “medium” so quantity unknown in 2015 |
2 | Tesco Thick Bleach 24 Hour Citrus750ml | £0.50 | 750 | ml | £0.65 | 750 | ml | 30.00% | 0.00% |
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1 | Heinz Cream Of Tomato Soup 4 X 400G | £2.00 | 1600 | g | £3.69 | 1600 | g | 84.50% | 0.00% |
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1 | Tesco Everyday Value Self Raising Flour 1.5Kg | £0.45 | 1.5 | kg | £0.70 | 1.5 | kg | 55.56% | 0.00% |
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3 | Tesco Everyday Value Baked Beans In Tomato Sauce 420G | £0.24 | 420 | g | £0.28 | 420 | g | 16.67% | 0.00% |
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3 | Tesco Everyday Value Low Fat Natural Yoghurt 500G | £0.45 | 500 | g | £0.55 | 500 | g | 22.22% | 0.00% |
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1 | Tesco Minced Beef 20% Fat 1Kg | £3.50 | 1 | kg | £7.50 | 1 | kg | 114.29% | 0.00% | This was frozen mince. Fresh beef mince 20% fat is currently £1 per kg cheaper |
1 | Tesco Pitted Green Olives In Brine 935G | £2.00 | 935 | g | £3.00 | 900 | g | 50.00% | -3.74% |
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2 | Tesco Double Strength Orange Squash No Added Sugar 1.5L | £1.25 | 1.5 | l | £1.85 | 1.5 | l | 48.00% | 0.00% | Though this is now quad strength |
2 | Tesco Double Strength Blackcurrant Squash No Added Sugar 1.5L | £1.25 | 1.5 | l | £1.85 | 1.5 | l | 48.00% | 0.00% | Though this is now quad strength |
1 | Tesco 10 Cod Fishcakes 500G | £1.25 | 500 | g | £2.00 | 500 | g | 60.00% | 0.00% |
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1 | Tesco Smooth Peanut Butter 700G | £2.35 | 700 | g | £2.25 | 700 | g | -4.26% | 0.00% |
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2 | Tesco Free Range Mixed Weight Eggs Box Of 15 ++ | £2.00 | 15 |
| £2.80 | 12 |
| 40.00% | -20.00% | Tesco no longer seems to sell the mixed weight or 15x eggs in a pack. |
1 | Tesco No Added Sugar Muesli 1Kg | £2.50 | 1 | kg | £2.40 | 1 | kg | -4.00% | 0.00% |
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2 | Tesco Clementine Or Sweet Easy Peeler Pack 600G | £1.50 | 600 | g | £1.19 | 600 | g | -20.67% | 0.00% |
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1 | Continental Selection Pepperoni 120G | £1.00 | 120 | g | £1.10 | 100 | g | 10.00% | -16.67% | Tried to match closest own brand |
1 | Butchers Choice Cider And Apple Pork Sausages 454G | £1.70 | 454 | g | £3.00 | 400 | g | 76.47% | -11.89% | Tried to match closest own brand |
1 | Terry’s Chocolate Orange Milk Chocolate Box 175G | £1.00 | 175 | g | £2.00 | 145 | g | 100.00% | -17.14% | Think it was on offer for £1 in 2015. Weight reduced. |
1 | Tesco Wake Up Lemon And Mexican Lime 250Ml | £0.95 | 250 | ml | – | – | ml |
|
| Couldn’t find equivalent |
1 | Princes Tuna Chunks Spring Water 4X160g | £3.00 | 640 | g | £4.25 | 580 | g | 41.67% | -9.38% |
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1 | Tesco Apple And Aloevera Shampoo 500Ml | £0.80 | 500 | ml | £0.79 | 500 | ml | -1.25% | 0.00% | Similar product |
1 | Poligrip Partial Seal And Protect 40G | £3.20 | 40 | g | £3.00 | 40 | g | -6.25% | 0.00% |
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1 | Tesco Mixed Peppers 3 Pack 500G | £0.99 | 500 | g | £1.89 | 500 | g | 90.91% | 0.00% |
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1 | Tesco British Large Whole Chicken 1.6-1.9Kg | £4.50 | 1.9 | kg | £6.40 | 1.9 | kg | 42.22% | 0.00% | Estimaet on weight sold in 2015 as not specified |
1 | Butchers Choice Pork And Leek Sausage 454G | £1.70 | 454 | g | £3.00 | 400 | g | 76.47% | -11.89% | Tried to match closest own brand |
1 | Tesco Everyday Value Ham 364G | £1.50 | 364 | g | £1.89 | 400 | g | 26.00% | 9.89% |
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1 | Cook Italian Pizza Kit 450G | £1.70 | 450 | g | £1.65 | 220 | g | -2.94% | -51.11% | No equivalent but in 2025 two bases alone cost almost the same |
2 | Carex Handwash Odour Defence 250Ml | £0.90 | 250 | ml | £1.50 | 250 | ml | 66.67% | 0.00% |
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1 | Tesco Salad Tomatoes 360G | £0.69 | 360 | g | £0.99 | 360 | g | 43.48% | 0.00% | Estimate of weight in 2025 |
2 | Tesco Everyday Value Pears Pack 500G | £0.79 | 500 | g | £0.99 | 550 | g | 25.32% | 10.00% |
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4 | Tesco Everyday Value Apple Pack 500G | £0.89 | 500 | g | £0.99 | 500 | g | 11.24% | 0.00% | Estimate of weight in 2025 |
1 | Spring Force Toilet Tissue 9 Roll | £2.00 | 9 |
| £2.52 | 8 |
| 26.00% | -11.11% |
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1 | Tesco Everyday Value Jumbo Kitchen Towel | £1.00 | 1 |
| £1.19 | 1 |
| 19.00% | 0.00% |
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1 | Kelloggs Crunchy Nut Cornflakes 1Kg | £3.00 | 1 | kg | £5.35 | 1 | kg | 78.33% | 0.00% | |
Own Brand
We have always tended to buy own brand products for the majority of items, although I notice Kellogg’, Princes, Heinz and PG slipped in, and would be less likely to now (especially Heinz).
Quick Conclusion
Unsurprisingly, prices have gone up, sometimes accompanied by quantities reducing. That said, it’s not a universal truth. A few items have gone down in price (though often so has the quantity).
Biggest Price Rises
The biggest price rise among the items sampled here is on frozen beef mince, which more than doubled in price for the same quantity (and was already one of the cheaper versions). Other meat and fish also rose in price but not by quite as much. A whole chicken was up over 40%.
Other notable rises were condiments, eggs, and some fresh produce including peppers, cucumbers, cabbage and tomatoes. Also hand wash.
Hovering around a price rise of about a quarter more included toilet rolls, hand, sultanas, fruit and natural yoghurt.
At least most of the products with price rises didn’t see a reduction in quantity, with the exception of sausages and eggs.
Price Drops
Ten products saw price drops. Loose onions were down 25%, and soft citrus fruit down 20% with no changes in quantity.
Cheese went down in price, though it’s hard to tell if this was a direct equivalent and I believe this was the economy brand.
More modest drops included Poligrip, shampoo, PG Tips (with a quantity reduction), peanut butter, muesli, and lettuce.
Another Conclusion
What can we surmise? The cost of food has generally risen, even on unprocessed goods.
Price wars/matching between the supermarkets have intensified over the past decade, but the base prices have still risen so the consumer ultimately pays more regardless of where they choose to shop.
Sorry for not being able to provide a more nuanced conclusion than that. This is just a basic appraisal of how things have changed in ten years, based on a modest and incomplete set of shopping items for a not necessarily usual family.
