The price of carrier bags was a sore point with our shoppers this week. Both Kwik Save and Lidl in Cardiff imposed a 3p charge for them and at Kwik Save our shopper was unable to obtain a free bag even for raw chicken. The biggest gripe was at Netto, Poynton, where our shopper ­ given the choice of a big or small carrier ­ opted for a large one and saw 9p slapped on the bill for it. That no doubt accounted for the fact that nearly all the other shoppers observed had brought their own bag. Netto, however, produced the cheapest full basket at £6.41, although the store's chicken breasts at £1.29 for 200g were judged poor value in comparison to the 900g Buxted chicken legs at the same price. Another big brand, Wall's ice cream, was on special offer, from £1.88 to 94p, at Kwik Save but that failed to live up to its promise of a bargain. When the bill was checked it was charged at £2.04. Out of the four Lidls visited, the most impressive was the Cardiff store which offered a money back guarantee if you bought something you didn't like. This week's star was Aldi, Robroyston, which was clean and tidy, and marked all items clearly. {{GROCER 33 }}

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