Retrieve relevant catalogue products for the shopper’s query.
Our methodology
How the comparison works.
A fair grocery comparison needs more than two price tags. RandBasket considers product relevance, pack size, measurement and the source information available.
Last reviewed16 July 2026
Read product type, quantity, unit and other useful details.
Convert compatible measurements into a common comparable unit.
Show totals and unit prices, with the strongest comparable value highlighted.
01
Price and product sources
RandBasket uses publicly available or authorised catalogue information associated with the retailers it supports. The information may include a product name, retailer, listed price, pack size, category, image and retailer product link.
Catalogue coverage is not identical for every retailer or location. A missing result does not necessarily mean the retailer does not sell that product.
02
How products are matched
A search result is assessed for relevance to the shopper’s words and the available product details. Brand, product type, flavour or variety, category and pack description can all matter.
Products that share a keyword are not always equivalent. For example, beef mince, a pasta meal containing beef mince and a sauce labelled “mince” should not automatically be treated as the same grocery item. RandBasket works to reduce these false matches, but shoppers should still read the full product name.
03
How pack sizes are compared
Compatible units are converted to a shared base before a unit price is calculated. Weight is compared with weight, volume with volume and count-based products with count-based products.
Compared using a price per kilogram where possible.
Compared using a price per litre where possible.
Compared per item only when the units are meaningfully equivalent.
A product without a dependable size may still appear as a relevant result, but it should not win a size-normalised comparison.
04
What “best price” means
A green best-price suggestion means that item offers the lowest comparable unit price within the relevant results currently being shown. It does not mean the product is identical in quality, ingredients, brand, dietary characteristics or promotion conditions.
Example: R40 for 500 g equals R80/kg, while R70 for 1 kg equals R70/kg. The 1 kg pack costs more at checkout but offers the lower comparable price per kilogram.
05
How basket totals work
A basket total combines the selected item prices and quantities available for a retailer. A “best full basket” result is meaningful only when the compared retailers have suitable matches for the items included.
Substitutions, missing products, loyalty prices, delivery fees and checkout conditions can change the real total. The retailer’s checkout remains the final source of truth.
06
Important limitations
- Prices and stock can change after catalogue information is collected.
- Offers may depend on location, account, loyalty membership or fulfilment method.
- Similar product names do not guarantee identical ingredients or quality.
- Images and descriptions can occasionally be incomplete or supplied incorrectly.
- RandBasket does not guarantee that every available product is represented.
07
Corrections and improvements
Catalogue comparison improves when incorrect products, sizes or prices are reported. Include the retailer, product name, price and approximate time whenever possible.