Why do sausage rolls and veterinary fees vary in price across London?
Location is not just the only factor on why prices differ across London, as Anna O'Neill finds out.
Why do sausage rolls and veterinary fees vary in price across London?
Cinnamon the rabbit needs to hop across London for cheaper vet fees
Have you ever wondered why the same item can cost more or less depending on where in London you buy it?
Take a bog standard Greggs’ sausage roll, for example. If you buy it in an outer London borough like Sutton, it costs £1.35. But if you buy it in central London, you're likely to pay £1.60.
You might have guessed that, according to Greggs, the price difference is often down to location.
"We use national pricing across most of our shops however, this can vary in certain locations where costs are higher than average, such as travel hubs," they told the BBC in a statement.
So far so obvious perhaps.
Sausage rolls from Greggs cost more in central London and at transport hubs than in outer London boroughs
What about going out for pizza?
You might assume the price of a pizza from the same chain would be identical wherever in London you eat it.
Not necessarily.
A Duo Romana pizza from Pizza Express costs £20.95 in Muswell Hill, north London.
But three miles (5km) further north in Southgate, the same pizza at Pizza Express costs a pound more.
And in central London, the same pizza will set you back £22.95.
Consumer expert Helen Dewdney from The Complaining Cow, external website, says that alongside higher costs in central London, the price gap can also come down to how easy it is to reach the restaurant.
Southgate has a Tube station, Muswell Hill does not.
"It’s all about cashing in on convenience for people.
"One will be nearer a Tube, so they’re counting on people saying 'Oh, I'll just get a pizza on the way home'.
"Whereas another you might have to make a journey to it."
Consumer expert Helen Dewdney from The Complaining Cow advises shopping around and using price comparison apps to get the best prices
Other examples of cross-borough price variations include:
A Vue cinema ticket bought online costs £6.99 in Eltham, but £9.99 in Piccadilly or Angel, Islington
A blow dry at Rush hair salon costs from £45 in Kentish Town, north London but £40 in Ilford, east London
Fish, chips and a drink in Wetherspoons in Sidcup, south-east London costs £11.18 but the same meal in Camden Town, north London costs £12.77.
Petrol prices can also differ from pump to pump at the same company and within as little as a mile (1.5km) radius.
A recent example from EG On the Move on the same day in London found these price variations:
Unleaded (E10): 171.9p – 177.9p per litre
Diesel (B7): 198.2p – 201.9p.
Other forecourts also charge more or less if they are near a main road or a motorway or part of a supermarket, for example.
For this, Dewdney recommends downloading a price comparison app like petrolprices.com, external
"You can look at the distance as well as the price difference so you’re not driving too far away," she explained.
"It’s not always the nearest one that’s worth going to."
The price list for veterinary treatments at Pets At Home in Chingford where a rabbit castration costs £136
Vet bills are another example.
Recent changes to legislation mean vets must publish a full price list for standard services, but that does not necessarily mean vets in a different practice within the same chain will charge the same.
Vets for Pets in Pets At Home is one example.
At Pets At Home in Chingford, east London, the Vets for Pets practice charges £136 for a rabbit castration including two follow-up consultations.
The same treatment at Vets For Pets in Pets At Home in Enfield, north London costs £70.
Consumer expert Helen Dewdney says she was surprised that the price can almost double from one practice to another.
"I think it's an interesting one, because they're saying it's a franchise and they can set their own prices.
"Although the government did bring in some changes for vets, it wasn't about capping the prices. It was just that they had to be more transparent," she explained.
Cinnamon the rabbit is just glad he cannot be castrated twice
Pets At Home said: "Vets for Pets practices are independently owned and operated, with practice owners having full clinical and day-to-day operational autonomy, including setting fees for delivering the high-quality care and services they provide.
"Pricing decisions are made locally and vary for many reasons including factors such as operating costs, staffing, facilities and the unique needs of the communities they serve.
"All costs are communicated clearly with clients ahead of any treatment or service being provided."
The company also said that veterinary practices had, like many businesses across the UK, "experienced increased operating costs over the past year, including rises in energy, wages, medicines and other essential supplies".
It added: "These pressures are felt right across the sector, but practice teams work hard to keep costs as low as possible to ensure high-quality care is accessible and affordable for pet owners in their local communities."
So what is the moral of the story?
Perhaps it is to shop around, and not assume that prices at the same chain will be the same wherever you go, whether that is for veterinary care, your weekly shop, having your hair done or filling up the car.
Price comparison websites can be a useful tool, and it is worth remembering that even if goods come from the same restaurant, supermarket or petrol station in a different area, prices may still vary.
Or as Dewdney summed up: "People have just got to do their research."