Reporter Jess Flaherty popped to her local Tesco to pick up a few household essentials when she spotted a display offering deals and discounts – but the prices were ‘wild’
I was wandering around Tesco last night to pick up a few last-minute essentials (why does everything always run out at the same time?) when a display of one everyday product genuinely made me gasp. Most supermarkets showcase items on special offer or being sold at discounted prices at the ends of aisles, so I had been expecting to snap up a bargain when I spotted a section devoted to toothpaste. But instead, I was simultaneously confused and outraged.
Toothpaste fluctuates in price and I always tend to buy what’s on offer. I want a whitening product that keeps my teeth and gums healthy, and I don’t have any “brand loyalty” – the cost of living crisis is hitting us all (hard) so the number one winning factor for me, and many shoppers, is the price. Supermarkets usually have deals and discounts available, but even Tesco’s trusty Clubcard prices had me scratching my head.
Among the items (supposedly) on offer was Colgate’s Max White Ultimate Whitening Toothpaste (75ml) for £9.95, down from the “regular” price of £23. I’m sorry, but in what world is £23 being the “regular” price of toothpaste even remotely acceptable?
Does this toothpaste have magical powers? Can it completely rebuild enamel and give me teeth brighter than the sun? Will it brush my teeth for me?
Because for £23, that’s the kind of sorcery I’d expect. Even the “discounted” rate of £9.95 is absolutely outrageous. What is going on?
Similarly, a 75ml tube of Oral-B 3D White Clinical Intensive Whitening Radiant White was half price at ÂŁ10, down from ÂŁ20. What fresh lunacy is this? How is a ÂŁ10 tube of toothpaste a deal?
The Colgate Max White StainLift Whitening Toothpaste (75ml) costs a whopping ÂŁ16 at full price but is currently on offer for ÂŁ8. I wish I was joking.
I know they’re “specialised” products that promise to give you a bright white smile, but I still think these prices are wild. Having gleaming teeth shouldn’t be this unattainable – or leave you in financial ruin.
There were also other toothpastes currently on offer for £4.95, down from their “regular” price of £10. Even £4.95 is steep for a tube of toothpaste, in my humble opinion.
I stood in front of those shelves gawping at the prices as though I were looking at a new discovery of a five-legged pink elephant in a zoo.
Thankfully, there are cheaper products available, like the Colgate Triple Action Toothpaste (75ml) which is priced at 92p – and not on offer. Tesco Essentials Cavity Protect Toothpaste (100ml) costs 50p, which is really reasonable.
But shouldn’t these sort of prices be the norm? I just can’t believe we’re living in a world where toothpaste can reach such astronomical prices.
I’m not the only one who’s been shocked and appalled by the rising cost of toothpaste. In a Reddit thread, one like-minded shopper shared a photo of a £7 tube of toothpaste and simply said: “Cost of living crisis price wtf 125ml toothpaste for £7”.
In the comments section, people shared their thoughts with many baffled by the high costs of such an essential product, while others advised only ever buying the cheapest, non-brand version.
One person summed up: “Unless you have a hard preference. Just rotate between the brands depending on what’s on special offer that week. My dentist told me that all toothpaste is 98% the same and the rest is flavour and consistency.”
Tesco has been approached for comment.
