Prices for some items vary widely at stores

A household with a freezer and plenty of shelf space can save a lot of money on groceries. The price ranges are wide, so finding items on sale that keep for a while makes a big difference. But shoppers say they also want the best prices overall they can find, sale or not.

And that quest is the top reason consumers choose to shop at particular stores, according to the Food Marketing Institute's most recent report, Grocery Shopper Trends 2009. Convenience is the second reason.

The report said most respondents planned to hang on to the recent thriftier habits they've developed as money concerns loosen and the economy improves. A new report is due out in early summer.

Locally, the Deseret News found plenty of variation in price during its monthly shopping spree Monday. While prices were up just under 1 percent overall, when the average prices of 12 commonly purchased items were compared, there was enormous variation in the prices for some items. For Birds Eye Steamfresh 12-ounce frozen corn, one store charged $1.12 and another charged $2.29. The identical box of 141-ounce Tide laundry detergent powder cost $13.97 at one store and $17.39 at another.

The Deseret News looks at the same items at five well-shopped Wasatch Front stores and tracks the average price from month to month to see trends.

The shopping trip doesn't account for all items or stores but is a tool for consumers to see how their favorite store's price on an item compares. The final cart price also includes the movie ticket and treats, a large takeout pepperoni pizza and the 10 gallons of gasoline.

Corn, hamburger, eggs, Cheerios, Oreos, ice cream and pizza all cost a bit more in March, compared to early February. But milk, bread, orange juice, diapers, laundry soap and the price of a movie ticket with soda and popcorn were down a bit. And gasoline hovered right around where it was last month, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge daily report for Utah.

The national grocery trend report said that shoppers have economized to make it through the recession in stages. First, they saved money by switching from fine dining to fast food and looked for supermarket "meals" to replace restaurant fare. Next, they started buying more private brands, using coupons and shopping with a list. Stage 3 included switching to supercenters, warehouse clubs and limited-assortment stores.

Shoppers also reported making fewer impulse purchases. More than half now carry a shopping list, 40 percent search newspaper and advertising inserts for deals and more than one-third use coupons.

e-mail: lois@desnews.com