When it comes to the weekly shop, most of us will head to the likes of Lidl, Tesco, Asda or Sainsbury’s to grab our groceries.
But there’s a little known supermarket gem in the UK that could be the answer for shoppers who just can’t choose.
The Company Shop sells products from all the big brands, at super low prices. How can they undercut popular favourites? The products are all surplus stock, that would otherwise be going to waste.
With 13 locations across the UK, The Company Shop is a social enterprise which originated in South Yorkshire.
While there are branches in Bradford, Grimsby, Leicester, and Washington, there isn’t one in London, so I hopped on the train to Southampton to find out what they’ve got in-store, and it was certainly a shopping trip like no other.
The first thing you need to know about The Company Shop is that it’s not open to everyone and you can’t just walk in off the street. Much like Costco, you need a membership to get in, and in order to get one there’s certain criteria you have to meet.
Memberships are availableif you work in sectors such as the police, fire brigade, British Armed Forces, the NHS, care services, private hospitals, support services, and FMCG, as well as those employed by registered charities. You can also apply if you receive means-tested benefits, such as Universal Credit, or Housing Benefits.
For those that make it through the doors, there’s some real bargains to be found inside with big brand names items selling for as little as 35p. But be warned: no two shopping trips there will ever be the same, as the contents of the shelves change daily, depending on what manufacturers and brands across the UK supply them with.
The one thing that’s consistent though is that it’s all surplus stock. But what exactly does this mean? Well, you’ll likely find canned goods that are a bit dented, or slightly damaged cereal boxes. Alternatively food from the likes of M&S might have been placed in plain and unbranded packaging due to a production error — the food itself is perfectly fine but the packaging may not be perfect, or looks a little different than usual.
Some will also be approaching its use by or best before date.
Members are said to save more than 50% on their weekly shop while helping to reduce food waste, and it’s not hard to see how much of a difference the supermarket is making to people’s wallets.
During my visit I found products from Waitrose, M&S, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Ocado on the shelves, as well as branded items like Heinz mayonnaise (95p here, £3.40 at Tesco), Prime energy drinks (75p a can here, £1.50 at Morrisons), Belazu tomato and sage pesto (£1.50 here, £3.30 at Waitrose), Cadbury reindeer cakes (£1.50 here, £2.85 at Tesco), Milka Oreo chocolate bars (80p each here, £1.45 at Tesco), Tetley Tea (£1 here, £3.90 at Waitrose), Ben & Jerry’s ice cream (£2.50 here, £5.50 at Morrisons), Goodfellas pepperoni pizza (£2.25 here, £3 at Tesco), Comfort Fabric Conditioner, and Itsu bao buns.
There were also a few goodies from big name brands that I’m not allowed to name, but some of which would make wonderful gifts for Christmas. Again, all at reduced prices.
One of the retailer’s best kept secrets though, is located in the freezer section. Nestled amongst bags of frozen veg and ready meals, you might just find some of your favourite fast food items.
‘We often get surplus food in from some the big fast food chains,’ a Company Store employee explained to Metro. ‘We’ve had stuff from McDonald’s, KFC, and Greggs.’
But all of this is sold at the supermarket in unbranded packets – so unless you were familiar with the particular item, you might not realise exactly what you were buying.
While there I spotted packs of what looked like Greggs Festive Bakes being sold for £1.50 (for four), while hot cross bun pies were £3 for 1.45kg. You might recall this sweet treat was on the Maccies menu earlier this year, and proved somewhat controversial at the time.
There were also 1kg bags of chicken nuggets going for £4.50. Were they McNuggets? I can’t say for sure, but they looked a lot like them to me…
If this weren’t all enough, The Company Store has one other big draw – its rummage bins.
Move over Middle of Lidl and Aldi’s Middle Aisle, because there’s an even more chaotic and surprising supermarket spot in which to dig for items you never even knew you needed.
The Southampton store had several large metal bins for shoppers to rifle through, and you really do have to rummage to find a bargain.
I came across some great bits and bobs — everything from tins of Heinz Baked Beans and Sausages (95p), to full-size Tony’s Chocolonely bars for £1 each (usually £3.50). There were also bottles of Emily in Paris Lillet Rose and Nyetimber sparkling wine for £14, as well as Harvey Nichols Cacao & Hazelnut Nut Butter for £7 instead of £12.
But it’s not just food you’ll find at The Company Store, much like a regular supermarket it also has homeware, cleaning products, baby products, and toiletries. You can even find make-up and skincare in store for as little as £1.50, with Collection Big Drama Mascara selling for £1.50 instead of £3.59, and Collection Filter Finish Foundation priced at £2 instead of £7.99.
In the rummage bins there were tubes of Deep Heat, Fairy Platinum Plus dishwasher tablets, Christmas crackers, dog food, hair brushes, surface wipes, Kleenex tissues, and bottles of Simple Micellar Water.
Another important thing to know about The Company Store is that there are a few rules.
As well as having to meet criteria for membership, those that shop there aren’t allowed to bulk buy the bargains. The retailer doesn’t permit shoppers to buy more than six of a specific item (unless otherwise stated).
They also have a number of labels and signs up in-store that customers should take note of. For examples, some of the packaging is surplus due to misprinting, this could include the best before/use by dates being wrong. So you might see labels that say: ‘This product has been given a life extension by the manufacturer.’
Other items have ‘out of life statements’ from the manufacturer, which certify that the product is fit to be eaten for a certain period after the best before date, and some simply say ‘Staff Sales, Not For Resale’ on them. This isn’t because the Company Shop is reselling them, it’s to prevent shoppers attempting to return items to the supermarket it originally came from.
Before leaving the store, I decided to see how much a basket full of items would cost me. As I was heading back to London by train, I opted only to grab store cupboard items that would survive the journey back. These were all items I’d usually buy during a weekly shop at Sainsbury’s, my go-to supermarket, or use regularly at home.
I ended up with 13 items which came to a total of £9.60, and this included toilet rolls, canned goods, branded items like Walkers Crisps, and a freebie too.
What I bought from the Company Store for under £10
A 500g box of Barilla Spaghetti for 75p. This is currently listed for as much as £1.50 at Ocado or Morrisons. At Sainsbury’s it’s £1.40.
Marmite Rice Cakes for 75p, 110g. At most of the top UK supermarkets, a packet of these is £2, but the price goes up to £2.10 at Waitrose. At Sainsbury’s they’re £2.
Walkers Sensations, Salt & Black Peppercorn, 150g for 75p. These will cost you £2.50 a bag at Asda, Tesco, or Morrisons. They had various other flavours too, including King Prawn. At Sainsbury’s these would have cost £2.50.
M&S Green Lentils in Water, 40p for a tin. The can was surplus because the drained weight of the product was incorrect on the label. It should have been 265g, but the correct weight was 215g. This product usually costs 70p from M&S. Green lentils from Sainsbury’s cost 55p.
Ocado Italian Chopped Tomatoes, 35p for a tin. If you ordered this online from Ocado it would cost 47p. A tin of Sainsbury’s own-brand Italian chopped tomatoes would have been 47p.
Belazu Tomato & Sage Pesto, 165g, £1.50. Jars of Belazu pesto cost up to £3.30 at Waitrose, and £3.15 from Ocado. This exact flavour isn’t available from Sainsbury’s online currently, but other Belazu pesto is selling for £3.30.
Arla Protein Vanilla Yogurt, 200g pouch, 30p. A shopper at the Company Store was raving about these being a bargain, and he wasn’t wrong – they sell for £1.30 each in Asda, and £1.25 each at Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
Bag of misshapen/broken M&S Custard Cream biscuits, 600g, £1. Perhaps my favourite purchase, this large bag of biscuits featured branded M&S Custard Creams which were unable to be sold as they’d gotten a bit broken. They’re still perfectly edible though and in date until August 2025. For reference, a 175g pack of M&S Custard Creams costs 50p, so this is a real bargain. Sainsbury’s Custard Creams are 32p for a 200g pack.
Large mango, 50p. Supermarket mangoes vary in size, but this one from The Company Store was huge and pretty reasonably priced at 50p. In comparison, a perfectly ripe mango is 95p at Tesco, £1.85 at Waitrose, and £1.25 at Sainsbury’s.
2 Red Little Gem Lettuces, 60p. The fruit and veg offering at The Company Store was a little sad looking, as a lot of it is being saved from waste, but it’s perfectly fine to eat. These lettuces were a bit on the small side, but not bad for 60p. At Asda, a two-pack sells for 95p, and at Morrisons it’s 85p. Ruby Little Gem Lettuce is £1.55 at Waitrose for two, while Sainsbury’s charges 85p for two little gem lettuces (60p with Nectar).
Comfort Toilet Roll, £1.65 for 4. Own-brand loo roll at supermarkets varies in price, you can get a pack of 4 for £1.45 from Tesco, and £1.90 from Sainsbury’s. At M&S it would be a similar price at £1.90. It’s worth noting that the Company Store had a cheaper £1.40 option available, but I picked the slightly more expensive version as it looked better quality.
Pack of fresh basil, free. When I got to the till, the member of staff scanning the items informed me they were giving away packs of basil for free to anyone who wanted one, as the herb had reached its use by date. So there’s always a chance you might nab a freebie during your shop. The same product at Sainsbury’s would have cost 52p.
Total spent at The Company Store: £9.60
Total if I’d been shopping at Sainsbury’s: £16.31 without a Nectar Card, or £16.06 with Nectar. (These prices include the pack of basil).
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