Consumer World's Edgar Dworsky: Average drugstore charged a full 50-percent more for food than the least expensive supermarket

With more and more non-food retail stores enlarging their grocery sections, is it a good deal to buy groceries at your local drugstore? No deal, according to a new Bostonarea survey released today by the consumer education website ConsumerWorld.org. On a market basket of some two-dozen items, the study found that the average drugstore charged a full 50-percent more than the least expensive supermarket -- $102.94 versus $68.55. For example, a can of Maxwell House coffee was $6.99 at Walgreens, but only $3.49 at Market Basket. A pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream was $6.29 at CVS, but only $3.99 at Shop & Shop. And a box of Lipton tea bags was $5.19 at Rite Aid, but only $2.99 at Shaw’s and Market Basket. “Drugstores are not doing shoppers any favors by carrying groceries at convenience store prices,” commented Edgar Dworsky, founder of Consumer World. “We are not talking about just a penny or two difference per item, but as much as a dollar or two in some cases.” The spot check of prices of 25 common items was conducted on October 2 at six stores in Somerville: Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS, Stop & Shop, Shaw’s and Market Basket. Among the drug chains, Rite Aid was the most expensive with the market basket of items costing $107.96, while CVS was the “least expensive” at $98.12. Among the supermarket chains, Shaw’s was the most expensive at $83.56 despite coincidentally having 10 of the items on sale, while Market Basket was the cheapest at a low $68.55 with only four items on sale. To save the most, Dworsky advises consumers to comparison shop, to check the ads