Shoppers unhappy as supermarket comparison site Trolley could be forced to close - here's what's happening
Supermarket price comparison tool Trolley.co.uk is on the brink of collapse due to licensing issues and is trying to crowdfund more than £28,000 to stay afloat. The popular money-saving site has been a hit with shoppers trying to save money on their food bills and many have voiced concerns about the possible closure.
Trolley.co.uk is a free website and app that enables users to compare the price of food, and other items, at supermarkets and shops such as Asda, Boots and Wilko. The free tool, which compares more than 7,000 brands, was set up by four ex-employees of former grocery comparison site MySupermarket, which closed in 2020.
Since its launch in June 2021, Trolley.co.uk says its service has been used more than 11 million times, with over 400,000 shoppers coming to the website and app each month.
Earlier this month, however, the firm announced it may have to shut as it can't afford to pay a licensing fee to use certain data. It's currently trying to crowdfund the £28,800 needed.
Shoppers have voiced concerns about the possible closure:
"I used to use MySupermarket, which was shut down, but Trolley.co.uk has been a great alternative. I use it weekly when looking at my food shop (I've got my usual shop and favourites saved in the app so I can easily compare them). It has been great at finding me the best prices, the cheapest place to do my weekly shop, and even comparing if getting a slightly bigger or smaller sized pack can help me save money."
"I used to use MySupermarket for price comparisons on groceries until it closed. I then moved to Trolley.co.uk. Trolley is now under threat itself, as it is being asked for a lot of money for the data that it uses."
"[Trolley is] a terrific public service for consumers that's under threat."
Rival alternative grocery comparison websites include MySupermarketCompare.co.uk, MySupermarkets.uk, and Priceable.
For more tips and tricks on how to save money while grocery shopping, head to our Supermarket shopping tips guide.
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10 September 2024
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