Sainsbury's has increased the price of its popular meal deal from £3.50 to £3.75, marking the first rise in three years. The 25p increase, which took effect this week, represents a 7% rise and has left many shoppers shocked.
Customers took to social media to express their disbelief, with some calling the change 'sneaky' and others saying it made them want to 'cry'. One user on X wrote: 'Sainsbury’s meal deal shock price increase to £3.75,' while another commented: 'Almost cried bc Sainsbury’s meal deals have gone up by 25p.'
Despite the increase, Sainsbury's meal deal remains cheaper than Tesco's, which costs £3.90 without a Clubcard (£3.40 with Clubcard), and Co-op's £4 deal (£3.50 for members). The supermarket also offers a premium version for £5, unchanged since its 2022 launch.
A Sainsbury's spokesperson defended the price rise, saying: 'We want to make good food affordable and accessible to everyone and so we have kept the price of our meal deal the same for over three years. We continue to offer one of the best value meal deals around, with millions of delicious possible combinations.'
The meal deal includes over 100 main options, 300 snacks, and 300 drinks, allowing for millions of combinations. The price had remained at £3 from at least 2014 until 2021, when it rose to £3.50.
