In his global quest spanning 150 countries, a man named Dan Kelly, aged 38, has visited 1,000 supermarkets and uncovered a selection of British products that are universally stocked. Dan, a graduate in languages and humanities, set out on this extensive supermarket exploration back in 2014 while on a job search.
Employed by a firm that specialized in relocating staff for businesses and collecting cost of living data, Dan’s primary task was to gather pricing information on various products in supermarkets worldwide. This data was then sent to a London office for analysis.
Dan’s job required him to hop from one major city to another every few days, equipped with a list of around 164 items to price-check in each location. This routine allowed him to become intimately familiar with supermarkets, shopping centers, and even the interiors of airplanes.
Over the course of 11 years, Dan meticulously surveyed 1,000 supermarkets in 150 countries, mostly traveling solo with a daily allowance of £70 for accommodation. Reflecting on his experiences, Dan shared some intriguing findings from his supermarket visits, noting the widespread presence of certain items like coffee, tea, and specific biscuit varieties.
Despite having moved on from his supermarket analysis role, Dan cherishes the memories and has even crafted a comedy show based on his adventures. He emphasized the value of human connection in his work, highlighting the importance of engaging with people during his price-checking missions.
Meanwhile, in the UK, consumers were recently informed that ALDI emerged as the most budget-friendly supermarket in May, according to Which?. After assessing the prices of 95 products, ALDI was found to offer the lowest overall cost at £168.30.
Which? explained their methodology for determining the most economical supermarket, stating that they compare prices of various grocery items across multiple stores using an independent price comparison website. By calculating the average price of each item and summing up the totals, they determine the average total price for each supermarket.