Project notes · 2026-04-09
Why NI Food Compass exists
A family shopping problem became a public tool for comparing supermarket prices in Northern Ireland.
The problem started at home
NI Food Compass began with a very ordinary problem: grocery prices were rising, household products were expensive, and comparing offers across different supermarket websites took too much time. A family shop is not one product. It is meat, vegetables, fruit, bread, milk, cleaning products, toiletries, snacks, dietary needs and the question of whether a trip is actually worth it.
The big supermarkets all show prices, but they do it inside their own world. Tesco has Clubcard, Sainsbury's has Nectar, ASDA has rollbacks and offers, Iceland has frozen deals, and local shops can matter too. That is fine for selling products, but it is hard for a household trying to plan one sensible shop.
What we are trying to build
The aim is a clear Northern Ireland shopping compass: compare unit prices, spot useful offers, group similar products together, and link back to the retailer for final checking. It should help people make better decisions before leaving home, especially when travel, fuel and time are part of the real cost.
This is not meant to replace retailers or tell people what they must buy. It is a consumer information tool that helps people ask better questions: is this really cheaper per kg, is the bigger pack better value, does this loyalty deal matter, and can I avoid driving around for tiny savings?
Why local matters
Northern Ireland has its own shopping geography. A person in Belfast may have several supermarkets nearby. A family in a rural area may need to think harder about distance and whether a trip is worth it. A useful comparison site should reflect that reality, not pretend every household has the same options.
Use the live comparison
The article explains the thinking. The live table shows the current captured rows and links back to retailers for verification before buying.