Budget stores Home Bargains and Quality Save have changed what they're charging for carrier bags and some shoppers aren't happy. The shops, known for selling bargain food, toiletries and household items, have hiked the price of carrier bags from 10p to 15p.
We reported earlier how shoppers struggle to tell the stores apart as with their blue and red signage they appear very similar.
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They're not. However, Quality Save is supplied by TJ Morris Ltd – the owners of Home Bargain – which is why it stocks many of the same products and sells them for exactly the same price.
So that probably explains why a 50% price hike on bags was introduced at both stores on the same day, on Friday.
Despite still being cheaper than many supermarkets, not all shoppers are happy about the bag charge.
"I know everybody is charging for them," said one Home Bargains customer. "But I think 10p per bag is enough. I come here because it's one of the cheapest places to buy what I need.
"I don't always remember to bring bags with me, so it's just another cost on top of everything else at the moment."
It was back in 2015 when, in a bid to reduce single use plastic waste, the government enforced a carrier bag charge on stores, promoting bags for life.
Prices for supermarket bags vary hugely, from 15p to 60p. Read what happened here when reporter Bethan put six supermarket bags to the test.
Both Home Bargains and Quality Save confirmed the price of bags has risen from 10p to 15p.
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