THE UK’s cheapest supermarket for a basket of 62 items has been revealed – and it’s beaten Lidl and Asda to the top spot.
Aldi was the cheapest major supermarket in August, according to Which?.
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The consumer champion looked at the average price for the basket of typical goods cost just £110.58 at Aldi.
That compared to £140.89 at posh retailer Waitrose which was the most expensive – a £30.31 difference.
Fellow discounter Lidl came in a close second, with the items priced at £111.88 for those signed up to its Lidl Plus loyalty scheme – just £1.30 more expensive than Aldi.
Meanwhile, without Lidl Plus the same basket of goods was a fraction pricier at £112.17, but still ranked second.
Asda came in third with a price point of £121.85 and Tesco fourth when taking into account Clubcard prices (£123.13) and without (£123.62).
A Sainsbury’s shop with Nectar Card set the Which? team back £123.75 and without it was £129.63 – £5.88 more – but meant the supermarket still ranked fifth.
Morrisons and Ocado came fifth and sixth with the goods costing £129.79 and £133.99 respectively.
Ele Clark, senior Which? money and shopping editor, said: “Our latest monthly analysis once again sees Aldi crowned as the UK’s cheapest supermarket.
“Given the ongoing strain of high food prices on household budgets, it’s understandable that many people are choosing discounters to cut costs.
“By switching supermarkets, consumers could save 22%, highlighting the advantages of shopping around.”
It’s worth bearing in mind, the research carried out by Which? was based on prices for the list of 62 products across August.
That means they are just a snapshot of what you might pay for them at different times of the year.
Prices at supermarkets change frequently, sometimes daily, and you will find items on offer in one chain one week then in another the following week.
How does your supermarket rank?
Which?’s monthly analysis looked at eight of the UK’s biggest supermarkets and compared the cost of dozens of everyday essentials.
Here are the results for August:
- Aldi – £110.58
- Lidl (with Lidl Plus) – £111.88
- Lidl (without Lidl Plus) – £112.17
- Asda – £121.85
- Tesco (with Clubcard) – £123.13
- Tesco (without Clubcard) – £123.62
- Sainsbury’s (with Nectar) – £123.75
- Sainsbury’s (without Nectar) – £129.63
- Morrisons – £129.79
- Ocado – £133.99
- Waitrose – £140.89
It’s not the first time in recent months Aldi has come out on top of Which?’s cheapest supermarket survey.
The German discounter, which is looking to massively expand its physical store presence across the UK, was crowned the cheapest supermarket in July and June.
It was also crowned the cheapest supermarket of 2023, pipping the other major chains including Lidl, Asda and Sainsbury’s to the top spot.
In other retail news, Heinz has confirmed it has axed an “amazing” soup from shelves, leaving shoppers devastated.
Plus, Aldi shoppers have been rushing to buy Celebrations tubs as they hit stores with the lowest price tag around.
What is loyalty pricing?
Loyalty schemes are all the rage, but what is loyalty pricing? Here is everything you need to know…
Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Morrisons are three of the major supermarkets that offer customers loyalty pricing – where you can get discounts on certain products.
They’re all free to sign up to as well, so the obvious advantage is that you can save money without spending a penny.
Different supermarkets will offer exclusive discounts on different products, so it’s worth seeing which suits your weekly shop the best.
Either way, be wary of supermarkets artificially inflating the price of their goods to make it seem like you’re getting a better deal than you are.
Consumer group Which? has previously found Sainsbury’s and Tesco to have increased the price of everyday goods then slapped loyalty prices on them thinking customers wouldn’t notice.
In any case, it’s worth shopping around even if you’re getting your weekly basket from a supermarket that offers loyalty pricing.
Supermarkets change their prices all the time, sometimes multiple times daily, so it’s worth checking you’re getting the best price on an item.
You can use websites like Trolley to see how the major supermarket’s compare in terms of price on any number of goods.
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