Aldi retains cheapest supermarket crown, Which? reveals, as Asda beats Tesco Clubcard and Sainsbury’s Nectar prices

The consumer champion's list of 93 groceries was cheapest at Aldi in July (£158.05), while Lidl followed close behind (£160.70). 

Asda was third in Which?’s analysis (£185.81), remaining one of the cheapest supermarkets regardless of loyalty schemes. 

Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s with Nectar was £187.86 on average, beating Tesco's Clubcard prices (£188.45) by just 59p.

Morrisons and Tesco without a Clubcard tied in the middle of the table with the same total for our list in July (£195.63).

The sting in the tail remains for non-members: without a loyalty card, Sainsbury’s was one of the most expensive options (£197.85), beating only Ocado and Waitrose on price. 

Waitrose was once again the most expensive supermarket (£226.95) - a staggering 44 per cent more expensive than Aldi for comparable items. Ocado was second dearest (£209.40)  - 32 per cent pricier than Aldi.

July’s list of 93 items included a mixture of own-brand and branded products - including milk, cheese and Hovis sliced bread.

This latest pricing analysis from Which? demonstrates that shoppers can make considerable savings on their groceries depending on where they buy their food.

Reena Sewraz, Which? Retail Editor, said:

"While inflation remains stable for now, many households will be worried about prices going up in the coming months.

"The discounters are still the cheapest supermarkets, while Asda beats Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s loyalty scheme prices according to our analysis.

"When walking into one supermarket over another – or forgetting your loyalty card – can mean paying over 40 per cent more for comparable  everyday essentials, switching where you shop is still the fastest way to slash your weekly grocery bill."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Research:

Each month Which? compares how much supermarkets charge for a selection of groceries. This month it compared 93 items that were available across all eight supermarkets. The data is based on availability across supermarkets each month. This list is made up of some of the UK’s most popular groceries, based on industry data on sales value and availability. Which? includes special offers and loyalty discounts where they apply but not multibuys.

Because the main list of groceries remains unchanged from month to month, Which? never shares the full list of products with retailers as it wants to avoid any attempt to skew the results. Which? wants retailers to work to make groceries affordable across the depth and breadth of their available lines.

For the shop, 93 items were analysed, which included a mixture of own-brand and branded products. 

There were 25 products on loyalty discount at Sainsbury's and 23 at Tesco. There were no loyalty discounts at Morrisons, Waitrose or Lidl in the products we analysed.

Average price

Which? checks the prices of hundreds of grocery items at eight major supermarkets throughout the year, using an independent price comparison website. For each supermarket, Which? works out the average price of each item across the month, then adds those up to get each store’s average price.

The consumer champion’s shopping list comprises the country’s most popular and widely available groceries, based on extensive market analysis. It includes branded items as well as own-brand products such as potatoes and baked beans.

Own-brand items won’t be identical across supermarkets, but Which? has ensured everything compared is as similar as possible based on a number of factors, including quality and weight.

Loyalty pricing

Which? looked at loyalty pricing for Lidl, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Waitrose, but none of the items on the consumer champion's shopping list had a loyalty price at Waitrose, Lidl or Morrisons this month.

Asda's Rewards scheme offers cashback on products with loyalty promotions. Which? hasn’t factored this into its main analysis because loyalty members don't receive a discount on the day and the cashback is only redeemable at Asda, within a limited period (up to nine months) and in increments of £1.

As there are restrictions on who can access loyalty prices, Which? will only award a cheapest supermarket endorsement to the retailer with the lowest prices that are available to all consumers.

Useful links:

Loyalty cards compared

How to spend less at the supermarket

Which? Food Inflation Tracker

About Which?

Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, empowering people to make confident choices and demand better. Through our research, investigations and product testing, we provide trusted insight and expert recommendations on the issues that matter most to consumers.

Fiercely independent, we put people over profit - shining a light on unfair practices, influencing policy and holding businesses to account to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone.

The information in this press release is for editorial use by journalists and media outlets only. Any business seeking to reproduce information in this release should contact the Which? Endorsement Scheme team at endorsementscheme@which.co.uk.