American mum Paige Wester, who is now living in England, has gone viral after demonstrating just how different the US and UK are when it comes to certain supermarket items
An American mum residing in the UK was left utterly baffled after comparing a Tesco store to supermarkets in the US.
Across the pond, you’ll find super-sized bottles of milk, an insane range of crisp (or should we say chips?!) flavours – and even entire aisles dedicated to ranch dressing. For us Brits, roaming around a Walmart and stacking up on never-seen-before sweets and chocolates is actually pretty fun, and perhaps it’s the same for Americans shopping at Tesco or Sainbsury’s for the first-ever time.
Paige Wester, who is a mum to a toddler and expecting her second child, recently took to TikTok to reveal one key difference she spotted in supermarkets since arriving in England. And no, it isn’t Yorkshire Tea…
READ MORE: Martin Lewis MSE names 5 major banks paying bonus over £175 including Nationwide
“I will never get over how inexpensive baby items are here,” the mum said in the now-viral video. “Let me just show you how cheap baby products actually are.”
Paige compares a pack of 60 Tesco-owned nappies (which she refers to as diapers) for £6.50, while a more premium band costs £5.50 for a 44-pack. In the US, a 56-pack of Huggies Little Movers nappies at Walmart costs $28.22 (which works out at around £20.71).
“Like that is so cheap,” she added. “Just a single pack of wipes is 55p.” Again, in the US a similar product costs around $3 (£2.22) which is more than four times the price. “Now we’re going to go to the baby formula because this will actually blow your mind,” Paige said, pointing to a large tub of Kendamil formula. “This brand in America I think is like $35 and here it’s £12…”
“Now I’m going to show you like toddler snacks, pouches, and all that stuff. I love this Ella’s Kitchen brand and for just one pouch it’s £1.30. Baby food is just 80p per jar. Let me preface this with the fact that I’m in Tesco right now, which is very similar to an American grocery store – but you can definitely get all of these baby items a lot cheaper somewhere else if you wanted.”
Lastly, the mum hailed how children’s medicine is ‘super cheap’ in the UK compared to across the pond. “Calpol is only £3.15,” she said. “Obviously some of the ‘boujier’ brands are a little bit more expensive but it’s not bad. A baby should not break the bank – period!”
Get the best deals and tips from Mirror Money
WHATSAPP GROUP: Get money news and top deals straight to your phone by joining our Money WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
NEWSLETTER: Or sign up to the Mirror’s Money newsletter here for all the best advice and shopping deals straight to your inbox.
Taking to the comments section, many Americans were equally baffled at how much cheaper Tesco seemed to be than stores like Walmart. “I just moved here with my British hubby to start a family and just know this was the right decision – it feels so validating,” one person hailed.
Another agreed, commenting: “As a Brit I honestly almost cried when I ran out of nappies on my last day in the USA and had to buy them,” while a third added: “I couldn’t believe when I went to Target and saw a tub of Kendamil was $30.”
However, many viewers rightfully pointed out that average salaries in the US tend to be higher than in the UK. According to reports, the median weekly earnings of the nation’s 122.1 million full-time wage and salary workers in the US was $1,118 in the third quarter of 2023. In the UK, this was just £682.
Do you have a story to share? Email us at [email protected] for a chance to be featured.
