EVERY LITTLE HURTS
Tesco customers left fuming after price hike to popular family meal deal
Find out how to get more from your clubcard
TESCO has dealt a new blow to shoppers after hiking up the cost of one of its pizza meal deals by £1.
The retailer now offers a pizza, side and dip made by The Pizza Company for £7 for shoppers with a Clubcard, although in January the deal was £6.
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The pizzas include flavours such as Pepperoni Party, The Big Cheese, Meat Metropolis and Chicken Tikkaway, while sides include chicken pops, potato wedges, onion rings or garlic bread.
It’s the latest hike on bundled offers by the supermarket after its Finest Dine-In meal deal rose from £12 to £15 (with a Clubcard) and the cost of two Finest ready meals went from £7.50 to £8 with a Clubcard.
The £8 deal has now risen to £8.50.
Shoppers have winced at the changes, with one saying on : “Noticed earlier all the pizza meal deals and ready meal deals are all going up”
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Tesco didn’t comment on the pizza change, but it has previously said its meal deals are “great value”.
Susannah Streeter, of investment firm Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “Tesco’s pizza meal deal is no longer quite such a bargain as the supermarket chain keeps an even sharper eye trained on its pricing amid more challenges on the retail landscape.
“In its last results Tesco flagged that it expects underlying operating profit to come in below expectations for this financial year.
It’s partly due to higher staff costs, due to increases in National Insurance contributions but also because a price war is forecast to heat up between the grocers.
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“Tesco has a deep well of data to crunch to assess shoppers’ habits and how its rivals are faring.
"It clearly believes that its new pizza deal price will still be attractive to shoppers and be seen as a value force in the market.
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“It’s likely to be part of a drive to raise some prices to gain more financial firepower to lower prices on other ranges.
“It’s committed to its Aldi price match so will be focusing on specific goods to ensure it’s as competitive as possible.’’
Most supermarket pizza deals are for two people, with each having their own pizza.
Asda is currently offering two medium pizzas and a bottled drink for £5.98.
includes two pizzas, two sides and a dip for £12 for those with a Nectar card, while you get the same from M&S for the same cost, except there’s no dip.
It’s not the first time shoppers have got worked up Tesco's price hikes.
Earlier this year Tesco increased the cost of its deal on ready meals, with the cost of two of its Finest ready meals rising from £7.50 to £8 with a Clubcard.
But while some shoppers feel short-changed by the £15 price tag, Tesco has recently been praised for other value-driven deals.
Fans raved over its £3.60 lunch meal deal after the supermarket added Krispy Kreme doughnuts to the snack options.
The move was branded “insane” value by shoppers, with one saying it was a “game-changer”.
A single doughnut usually costs £1.99, meaning you’re getting your main and drink for just £1.61.
Meal deal mains include sandwiches, pasta pots, wraps, sushi and salads, while drink options range from smoothies and juices to iced coffees and fizzy cans. Snacks now include crisps, fruit, yogurt, olives and even boiled eggs.
The lunch meal deal costs £3.60 with a Clubcard, or £5.50 without, making the loyalty scheme more valuable than ever.
What is Tesco Clubcard?
Tesco Clubcard customers earn points when shopping in-store or online.
You earn one point for each £1 spent and each point is then worth 1p.
Once you've earned 150 points, equivalent to spending £150, you receive a voucher worth £1.50.
This voucher can then be used to get money off a shop in your local Tesco store or online, or with Tesco's rewards partners.
You can also earn points by making purchases through a range of Tesco's partners including Xauxhall, Evri and OVO Energy.
For example, shoppers buying a new Vauxhall car can get 50,000 Clubcard points or those spending £1 with Evri get one point.
Of course, you can double the value of any points earned by spending them at any one of Tesco's rewards partners.
The full list of Tesco's partners is on its website via secure.tesco.com/clubcard/reward-partners.
Any vouchers transferred into Reward Partner codes expire after six months.
You can sign up to Tesco Clubcard on the app, which is downloadable via Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Alternatively, you can order one via Tesco.com.
How to get more from your Clubcard
Tesco’s Clubcard remains one of the easiest ways to cut costs at the checkout – and beyond.
You earn one point for every £1 spent, and once you collect 150 points, Tesco sends you a voucher worth £1.50, which can be used in-store or online.
But the real trick is using them with Tesco Reward Partners, where the value can double or even triple – turning that £1.50 into £3 depending on where you spend it.
You can boost your points faster by shopping with partnered brands like Vauxhall, Evri, and OVO Energy. For example, buying a new car from Vauxhall could net you 50,000 Clubcard points.
Tesco Clubcard vouchers are valid for two years, but if one’s about to expire, just spend a small amount of it – and the leftover balance will be reissued with a new expiry. So if you use 50p from a £10 voucher, the remaining £9.50 gets extended for another two years.
Clubcard Plus, which costs £7.99 a month, gives shoppers 10% off two in-store shops each month, making it worthwhile if you spend more than £40 each time.
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You can also earn points by signing up to Shopper Thoughts, a survey platform that dishes out Clubcard points for your opinions.
With a few savvy tricks, the Clubcard can still unlock serious value – even as some of Tesco’s headline prices go up.
INFLATION CONTINUES TO RISE
Inflation in January 2025 skyrocketed to the highest rate in ten months, putting pressure on shoppers.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the Consumer Price Index (CPI) measured 3% in the 12 months to January.
Meanwhile, inflation is expected to hit 3.7% in the summer, driven by increases in the price of energy and food.
Grant Fitzner, chief economist at the ONS, said: "Inflation increased sharply this month to its highest annual rate since March last year.
"The rise was driven by air fares not falling as much as we usually see at this time of year, partly impacted by the timing of flights over Christmas and New Year."
He added: "After falling this time last year, the cost of food and non-alcoholic drinks increased, particularly meat, bread and cereals.
"Private school fees were another factor, as new VAT rules meant prices rose nearly 13% this month."
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