Boots or Superdrug? Which provides more value for those everyday essentials? Szu Ping Chan investigates...
They are two of the biggest names on the high street, competing for two of the biggest slices of the consumer pie - the health and beauty markets.
But the two stores, Boots and Superdrug, have approached us consumers very differently.
Contestant number one, Boots, has conjured an army of loyal followers with its Boots Advantage card scheme, while contestant number two, Superdrug, focuses more on price than points to keep us coming back.
Now there's no doubt we're all very price-conscious these days. But is price really better than points? Which store is better in terms of value? In other words, how much is our loyalty really worth to each store?
A good place to start would be to compare a basket of goods you can get in both stores.
Here's a list of ten common items and their prices:
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Own brand sunscreen SPF 15, 200ml |
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Own brand Ibuprofen 16 tablets |
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Olay Complete Care Day Cream 50ml |
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Nurofen Express Liquid capsules 16 tablets |
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Lynx Africa body spray 150ML |
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Radox Herbal Bath Muscle Soak 500ml |
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Pantene Smooth and Sleek shampoo 400ml |
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Colgate fluoride toothpaste whitening 100ml |
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CK One Eau de toilette 100ml |
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Johnson and Johnson body holiday skin light 250ml |
£2.44 (half price offer) |
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Total cost of basket |
£61.90 |
£52.12 |
Eight of the ten items in my basket were more expensive in Boots, with the total costing £8.78 more than the same items in Superdrug.
Of course, with Boots, if you present your Advantage card at the till, you'll earn 247 in points for this transaction, worth £2.47 in cashback at Boots. However, that's still not enough to make up the difference in cost, so in this case, staying loyal to Boots will actually leave you £6.31 out of pocket.
The main difference in my basket lies with the perfume, which was nearly £10 more in Boots than in Superdrug. Perfume in Boots does tend to be more expensive than in Superdrug and ub specialist chains such as the Perfume Store, so this is something to bear in mind next time you're looking for a new fragrance.
You also should look out for offers which make one store more competitive than the other. With the holiday season fast approaching, sunscreen is set to be a priority for many holiday makers, and both Boots and Superdrug, are currently offering buy-one-get-one free on a range of sun care.
At the same time, don't allow yourself to be seduced by these types of deals, as you can easily 'buy extra to use later' only to find them lingering in your storage cupboard years down the line.
A question of loyalty
Boots would probably argue that calculating value is not that simple, and when it comes to shopping as a whole, they'd say they provide better value overall.
The store sends its members a quarterly statement packed with extra points and vouchers to boost your spending and get extra money off. In addition, you'll get the chance to bag even more points and money off at the in-store Advantage card kiosk.
Plus, at Christmas, you'll be invited to special events to help you get even more points for your pounds.
If you're aged 60 or over, the Boots Health Club could also prove useful, with exclusive benefits such as 10% off Boots brand products, and 30% off Boots glasses. What's more, it's free to join.
Price counts
But despite the plethora of perks offered by Boots, one fact remains: on price alone, Superdrug is cheaper.
They've also introduced a discount scheme of their own, and next time you're at the till, you'll get a voucher for 10% off your next purchase when you spend £10 or more (provided you complete an online survey).
Superdrug isn't the only store to push price as their biggest selling point. When shopping for those everyday essentials, don't forget budget stores such as Savers, and don't rule out the supermarkets either.
Although choice may be more limited in supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury's, they could prove better value.
When it comes to these two rivals, I still think Boots gives good value...if you shop smart. There are enough promotions and special deals in store to make it competitive, and those extra money off vouchers in the post always come in handy.
However, for those core items with no promotional deals, most times (in my case, eight out of ten times) you'll be better off popping down to your local Superdrug.
At the end of the day, whether you prefer to be rewarded with points or pennies, remember that companies are also looking to line their own pockets. So make sure you're looking after your own too...
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