Tesco promotions and sales

OK, they probably can explain this in the store but perhaps someone here would indulge me.

So I went to Tesco for the first time today and all over the store they have promotions going on that say things like 2 for 3 pounds.  So do I have to buy 2 in order to get the 1.50 price?   Do they have to be the same thing?  I mean if strawberries and shampoo both have the sale sticker 2 for 3 does that qualify or do I have to buy 2 of the same thing to make it work?

Thanks - I was so busy checking out the different brands that I did not really think about it until I got home but I would like to be an educated and good consumer and not just an interested shopper.

2-for-whatever sales here work pretty much the same way that those types of sales work in the US.

It'll usually explain sign attached to the shelf what you'll need to buy to qualify and what regular non-sale price is.

You do have to buy two of the things to get the £1.50 price, unlike many places I shopped at in the US.  I'm not sure on the question about buying blueberries and shampoo, but I don't think it works that way.  I know you can buy, say blueberries and strawberries when they are 2 for £3 and get it, but I don't think it transfers over to completely different products.

You do have to buy two of the things to get the £1.50 price, unlike many places I shopped at in the US.

Yeah, I was very surprised when I went into Smiths in the US last year and managed to get the sale price when I only bought one item (i.e. Ben and Jerry's said 2 for $6, but if I only bought one it was still $3). In the UK, if an item is £1.99 normally or 2 for £3, then if you only buy one you will pay £1.99 - I've never seen a UK sale work any differently... you only get the offer price if you buy the number of items specified.

In terms of what items are included in the offer, it will usually say on the ticket, but in general, you will either need to buy within brand or within product type - so if the fruit is on 2 for £3 and shampoo is on 2 for £3 as well, they will not be on the same 2 for £3 offer, you can't buy one shampoo and one tub of fruit and get them for £3... instead you would have to pay £6 for two shampoos and two tubs of fruit. Sometimes, the ticket will say something like '2 for £3 on all items from this display' which means that you can buy any two items from that display section and get them for £3.

I'm pretty sure they do have to be the same thing.  And you do have to buy two (or 4 if it's 4 for £3 or whatever).  That's frustrating because as people have said above, it's usually not the same way in the States.  The'll do promotions like "5 for $5!!!!", but that's just a fancy way of saying, "this product is $1!!!!" 

What really drove me crazy is when Safeway started doing their 10 for $10 sale.  How ridiculous!  They're $1 anyway...why would I want to buy 10?!  But they want to get you thinking in that direction - bigger, more, etc.

It will say on the label what's covered - for example they will often have 2 for £3 on berries so it will say it includes strawberries, blueberries etc. Other times it won't.
You certainly wouldn't be able to include strawberries and shampoo.

The US system I've seen where you it says 2 for $3 and then you get 1 and it's $1.50 would more likely be seen as misleading advertising here.....they are trying to make you think in terms of just buying more.

I did have to explain to DW when she moved  over that it doesn't work that way here.