Tesco hikes price of common item used by millions of shoppers every shop

 Tesco is increasing the price of a common item used by millions of shoppers every time they shop.

The supermarket is increasing its bag for life to 40p from this week. It follows a similar increase by Sainsbury’s, who also recently increased the price of its bag for life to 40p. Tesco said the new price is in line with what other retailers charge.

A Tesco spokesperson said: “We encourage customers to bring shopping bags with them to cut down on plastic, but we sell a wide range of reusable bags in case they are needed.

“Our cheapest Bags for Life cost 40p and are made of 100% recycled plastic. They can be reused many times, and if they become worn out can be replaced for free at our customer service desks and recycled again.”

Supermarkets started charging for plastic bags in England in 2015. The initial charge in most places was 5p and this has gradually increased over the years.

Asda also charges 40p for a bag for life, while Morrisons charges 60p with an option for a paper bag that costs 40p. Aldi and Lidl charge 30p for their bags for life.

It comes after Tesco increased the price of its meal deal again to £3.85 for Clubcard members, or to £4.25 without.

Currently the most popular items in the supermarket meal deal are the Tesco Chicken Club Sandwich for main, Tesco Egg Protein Pot as the snack, and Coca-Cola 500ml.

The price of the premium Tesco meal deal has increased to £5.50 for those with a Clubcard, and to £6 for those without.

It marks the third time Tesco has raised the price of its meal deal for Clubcard members, and the fourth time for those who are not signed up to its loyalty scheme.

A Tesco spokesperson said: “Our meal deal remains great value and the ideal way to grab lunch on-the-go at just £3.85 for a main, snack and drink when bought with a Clubcard.

“With more than 20m possible combinations the Tesco meal deal has got something for every taste, from a classic Chicken Club Sandwich to Tesco Korean Style Chicken Dragon Rolls.”

Meanwhile, Tesco has announced it will stop accepting or handling Evri parcels on behalf of customers by the end of November. The supermarket giant is currently winding down its partnership with Evri ParcelShop across individual stores.

The arrangement will come to an end across all Tesco Express branches on Friday, November 28. Shops will offer a 10-day grace period after this date to give shoppers who have organised parcel collections at Tesco sites enough time to pick up their items.