Market Basket Prices Not The Lowest, According To New Survey

BOSTON (CBS) – Market Basket shoppers scrambling to find other stores with low prices during the employee revolt have some options, according to new research.

A survey released Tuesday by ConsumerWorld.org in Somerville reveals that some little-known grocery chains are actually less expensive than Market Basket.

Read: Consumer World Study (.pdf)

"Everyone's complaining, 'Oh my goodness, I have to give up Market Basket, I'm paying more at Stop and Shop and Shaw's and all that.' Well, the good news is you don't have to pay more. These 'limited assortment supermarkets' actually came out lower than Market Basket," Edgar Dworsky, founder of ConsumerWorld.org, told WBZ NewsRadio 1030.

"The three main chains in Massachusetts are Aldi, Price Rite and Save-A-Lot."

So what is a limited assortment supermarket?

"A limited assortment supermarket is a much smaller supermarket than you're used to, because they really only carry their own brand of items for the most part, and only in one size," Dworsky said.

"So if you need ketchup, they have one size of ketchup. If you need flour, they have one size of flour in their own brand. But they are able to offer much lower prices, because their overhead is less and they don't have to stock all these other items."

"In my survey of almost two dozen store-brand items, Aldi was 17-percent less than Market Basket," Dworsky told WBZ.

"Imagine, 17-percent less than what people thought was the cheapest supermarket. Price Rite and Save-A-Lot were nine or ten-percent less. So you can save money."

Dworsky said his survey actually confirmed what consumers' fears were – the bigger supermarket chains are more expensive.

"The Stop and Shop in Chelsea compared to the Market Basket in Chelsea was 17-percent higher on the store brands. And Star Market was 31-percent higher," he said.

"Take for example, store brand of peanut butter. Forty ounces at Aldi was $2.99. At Market Basket it was $3.99 and at Star it was $4.99 - a dollar difference going from store-to-store."

An informal survey conducted by WBZ NewsRadio 1030 last week had similar results.

MORE LOCAL NEWS FROM CBS BOSTON