Grocery Stores US vs UK: 5 Important Differences You Need to Know
Grocery stores US vs UK: what are the major differences?
In short, everything. Food production, packaging, quantities, ingredients, prices…nearly everything about grocery shopping in the UK is different from grocery shopping in the US.
Let’s look at the major differences, what you can expect in each country, and how best to feed your family when you’re adjusting to a totally new food shopping experience.
Grocery Shopping in the US
Grocery shopping in the US: land of massive stores, giant shopping carts, neverending aisles, and one-stop-shops.
Grocery shopping in the US is completely different than in the UK. Let’s look at the major differences.
1. Store Size
First off, store sizes in the US vs the UK are dramatically different. Even the largest UK supermarkets in more rural areas don’t compare to the massive Walmarts and Targets of the USA.
In large cities in the US, stores are smaller than in more rural areas. In less populated areas in the US (and even in large cities, tbh) grocery stores tend to be one-stop-shops for everything from food to prescriptions to petrol.
2. Shopping Frequency & Quantities
Grocery shopping in the US is usually a once-per-week affair for most people. Since most Americans need to drive to the grocery store, it’s easy to load up your car once a week and be done with it.
US grocers often sell bigger quantities of groceries to make it simple to do one big shop and offer better prices for buying multiples.
Package sizes are bigger, too, like the US standard 5lb bag of sugar vs the UK’s 1 kg bag of sugar. That’s a huge difference!
3. More One-Stop-Shops
The one-stop-shop is prolific in America. Target, Walmart and Costco are the big ones, but there are also some Krogers and Safeways that are just as massive.
Some of these fall into the territory of “Big Box Stores” (i.e. Costco) where you can only buy things in large quantities. This makes sense in America, though, as houses are bigger, shelf life is longer, people have cars to carry these items home, and buying in bulk is really common.
4. Less Delivery & Pickup
In most US cities, grocery delivery is more limited unless you’re in a large major metropolitan city (NYC, San Francisco, etc.). There are some apps offered by grocers that deliver (Kroger, Safeway, etc.) and some apps not associated with grocers that deliver (Instacart, Amazon, etc.)
During the pandemic, more supermarkets started offering curbside pickup (pictured above), which has remained popular in the last few years. For curbside pickup, you place your order online, specify a time window, and they will put your groceries in your car for you at the curb.
5. Less Ready Meals & Prepared Foods
In the US, most stores don’t have a large selection of ready meals or prepared foods. Some stores will have prepared foods like salads and pastas, but not a large selection.
It’s more common to have a deli section where you can ask the staff to portion you a quantity of salads, cooked meats, pastas, etc. Some stores will have salad bars.
Grocery Shopping in the UK
1. Store Sizes Vary Dramatically
In general, grocery stores are smaller in the UK. This is because 1) there is less real estate here, and it’s more expensive. And 2) people shop more often and therefore don’t need a massive store with massive quantities.
In more rural areas in the UK, grocery stores are large with big parking lots. But in large cities like London and Edinburgh, grocery stores are mostly small, with several “local” stores and a few large ones.
In my neighborhood in London, for example, we have a large Sainsbury’s (which is the equivalent to a very small Kroger in the US), a Tesco Local, an Amazon Fresh, and several corner shops/off-licenses.
2. Shopping Frequency & Quantities
People in the UK and Europe generally do smaller shops more often, rather than one big shop once per week. If you live in a large city, it’s easy to pop by the shop on the way home to grab a few things.
One of the major differences in grocery shopping in the US vs UK is the package quantity. Most fruits and veg are sold in pre-packaged quantities, vs. the large bins of produce in the US that you choose and bag yourself.
Shelf-stable items like sugar and flour are sold in smaller packages, too. The standard bag of flour in the UK is 1 kilogram, vs in the US the standard bag of flour is 5 lbs (2.2 kilogram). That’s more than double the size.
For packaged foods, like soda and crisps (chips, in the US), a standard pack of soda is usually 8 cans vs the US 12 pack. Crisps in the UK come in bags of about 150 grams, whereas in the US they come in bags of roughly 262 grams.
3. Less One-Stop-Shops
The one-stop-shop is fairly rare in the UK, and is usually only in rural areas that have only one big store to serve a large population. Grocery stores do not have pharmacies here, but some do have petrol stations in more rural areas and smaller cities.
Big box stores like Costco exist in the UK, but not within major cities.
There is no single store in the UK that is equivalent to Target or Walmart. The closest you’ll get to these are a very large Tesco or Sainsbury’s. These large stores will have clothing and home items, but not in as extensive a range as in the US.
Marks & Spencers is a higher end store, but since they are also a big department store in the UK, you’ll be met with more selection of non-grocery items in an M&S.
4. More Delivery, Less Pickup
In large cities in the UK like London, grocery delivery is common and you have lots of choices. Pickup (like curbside pickup in the US) doesn’t exist inside large cities since most people don’t drive.
Most major grocery chains have their own delivery system (like Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, etc.). There are also delivery apps that don’t have physical grocery stores that only deliver, like delivery giant Ocado.
In smaller cities and towns in the UK, delivery is less common.
5. More & Better Ready Meals
In the UK, ready meals are everywhere. In any store – even a small local version of a chain grocer – you can find a big selection of ready meals.
Everything from chips to pizzas to pastas and curries are available. This is great if you’re short on time and want a meal at home without cooking. I’ll admit lots of these aren’t great, but they’ll do in a pinch and are great for a busy weeknight. Most importantly, they’re affordable.
Food Quality: US vs UK
Probably the biggest difference in grocery shopping in the US vs UK is food quality and regulated ingredients.
In the UK and most of Europe, most preservatives and additives are banned. You’ll notice that refrigerated foods have a short use-by date in Europe, and this is because most preservatives that extend shelf life are not added to foods.
This is partially why foods are sold in smaller quantities in the UK and Europe: buying in bulk doesn’t make sense when the food will spoil before you can use it.
Why are these food regulations stricter in the UK? It’s complicated, but essentially it all comes down to money. The food lobby in America is strong and can influence governmental policy.
The UK is conservative with allowed food additives because they will pay the price with higher national healthcare costs if they allow potentially harmful ingredients.
Grocery Prices US vs UK
In general, groceries are cheaper in the UK vs US. This comes down to shipping and production costs. There are some exceptions, but the thing you’ll immediately notice when shopping in the UK coming from the US is that fruit and veg are dramatically cheaper.
In the UK, foods can be sourced from nearby countries pretty cheaply. The rest of Europe is so close to the UK that importing those foods is a fraction of the cost of importing them to the US.
Best Grocery Stores US vs UK
Having lived in both places for long periods of time, I’ll do my best here to compare large supermarket chains in the US vs the UK. Please note that these are based on my opinions and experience living in large cities in both countries. Your opinions may be different!
I don’t have experience shopping at Morrison’s because there aren’t any in my area, but when I do I’ll update this post with my opinion on the US equivalent.
1. Whole Foods = Waitrose & M&S
In the top tier supermarkets in the US vs UK, Whole Foods is the equivalent to Waitrose and Marks & Spencer. Both offer more organic options, lots of higher end prepared foods, and basics like flour and toilet paper are more expensive.
2. Safeway = Tesco
Falling in the middle tier of supermarkets in the US, Safeway is the basic equivalent to the UK’s Tesco.
These are both mid-range supermarkets that can sometimes surprise you with crazy high prices. Some deals are great, and sometimes you’ll be offended that they want you to pay so much for an essential like soap and cereal.
3. Kroger = Sainsbury’s
Another mid-range supermarket is Kroger, which is a large US chain equivalent to Sainsbury’s in the US.
I compare the two because sales at Kroger are very similar to sales at Sainsbury’s: sometimes you can find incredible deals, but the basic overall shopping experience is decent and affordable no matter what you’re buying.
4. Trader Joe’s, Walmart = Aldi, Lidl
In the US, I would not put Trader Joe’s and Walmart in the same category. But when compared to budget supermarkets in the UK, Trader Joe’s and Walmart are most akin to Aldi and Lidl (in my opinion).
Trader Joe’s and Walmart offer the best deals on their own line of bargain products, as do Aldi and Lidl. All of these are some of the cheapest markets you can shop at in either country.
I’ve been told that Aldi has since made an appearance in the US, so I’ll update this post with my comparisons the next time I’m there!
Grocery Stores US vs UK: Expat Tips
If you’re an American coming to live in the UK or Europe, you’ll have to adjust to a new way of shopping. Here are by best tips:
- Adjust to shopping more often and buying less each time. You may start out with more food waste because things go bad faster, but you’ll get used to it.
- Adjust your meal prep and make the most of your (small) freezer space. If chicken is on sale, go ahead and buy two and freeze one! Just don’t expect to have a chest freezer like you might in the US.
- Download each grocery store app. Most grocery stores have a shopping app where you can scan as you shop and check out with one click. It’s super easy and saves a lot of time, especially as most checkouts are self-serve in the UK anyway.
- Some grocery stores require your savings card to get sale prices and some don’t. Do your research, and keep the barcode for each store’s card as a screenshot on your phone for easy access at checkout.
- Buy in bulk only when it makes sense. I like to keep backup flour and sugar in the pantry, for example, because I’m still not used to such tiny quantities for baking.
- Try out all the stores to see what you like. Some people are die-hard Tesco shoppers, and some only like Sainsbury’s. Get a feel for each store and compare prices. You might be surprised at what your favorite shop is.
- Get good reusable bags and possibly a shopping trolley. Invest in a nice set of bags that you can easily tote around, and keep a compact one on you at all times so you don’t have to buy a plastic bag. For trolleys, I like the ones with triple wheels that can go up and down stairs easily.
Grocery Stores US vs UK: Final Thoughts
Grocery shopping in the US vs UK is so different, and there are so many things to compare that I couldn’t cover in one post. Hopefully I’ve given you a good idea of what to expect.
Remember that the entire food production chain is different in these two countries, so everything about the shopping experience varies from place to place. You’ll have to adjust to buying more or less, shopping more often or less often, and might have a hard time finding the ingredients you’re used to.
Try out all the stores no matter what country you’re in, and you’ll soon get into a shopping rhythm that you’re comfortable with and makes the most sense for you. Happy grocery shopping!
More on Moving to London:
Should I Move to London? The Ultimate Compatibility Quiz
Pros and Cons of Living in London: Is it right for you?
The Best Areas to Live in London for Singles, Couples and Families
Tips for finding Short Term Rentals in London
