Aldi has beaten rival Lidl to be named the cheapest supermarket of 2022 by Which? consumer champions.
The budget supermarket was crowned the lowest priced for seven consecutive months, from June to December.
In comparison, Lidl was the cheapest for five months, from January to May.
Which? tracked the price of items sold at Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose throughout 2022 to find out where shoppers can get more for their money.
The results for December showed a basket of 48 groceries cost £81.63 on average at Aldi - while Lidl shoppers paid £83.24.
Tesco came in third place (£93.42) followed by Asda (£93.44), Sainsbury’s (£95.71) and Morrisons (£97.12).
Ocado shoppers paid £102.87 on average, while Waitrose was the most expensive shop at £112.62 - more than £30 pricier than Aldi.
Waitrose was the most expensive supermarket across the entire 12 months.
Which? also compared a larger trolley with a selection of branded items that are not always available at Aldi and Lidl.
This means the discounters are never included in the bigger comparison, which contains 149 products in total.
Asda was the cheapest of the traditional supermarkets in December - as it has been every month for the last three years - where it cost £355.62.
Sainsbury’s was second cheapest (£368.97), followed by Tesco (£375.97), Morrisons (£377.81) and Ocado (£386.68).
At Waitrose the total came to £406.95 - which is £51.33 more than Asda.
The latest results on the supermarket price comparison by Which? comes as shoppers continue to feel the squeeze from rising inflation and the cost of living crisis.
Food inflation hit a record annual rate in December.
The latest British Retail Consortium-NielsenIQ shop price index showed typical food grocery costs were up 13.3% last month compared with December 2021.
This is compared at 12.4% in November.
Which? has published a 10-point plan of steps to help ensure affordable food is available to everyone who needs it.
Some of the measures it wants introduced through The Affordable Food For All campaign is own-brand budget items to be widely available throughout all types of supermarket branches – including smaller convenience stores.
Supermarkets have also been told to make pricing and offers more transparent.
Reena Sewraz, Which? retail editor, said: “With food and drink prices putting huge pressure on household budgets, it’s no surprise to see many people turning to discounters like Aldi and Lidl when our research shows they could save up to £31 on a typical shop.
“As well as choosing a supermarket that is cheap overall, you can save in other ways by swapping from branded to cheaper own-brand products and by sticking to a shopping list.”
“Which? believes all supermarkets have the ability to make a real difference to hard-hit households by ensuring everyone has easy access to basic, affordable food lines at a store near them, particularly in areas where people are most in need.”
Cheapest supermarkets for basket of 48 items
- Aldi - £81.63
- Lidl - £83.24
- Tesco - £93.42 (excluding Clubcard Prices)
- Asda - £93.44
- Sainsbury's - £95.71
- Morrisons - £97.12
- Ocado - £102.87
- Waitrose - £112.63
Cheapest supermarkets for larger trolley of 149 items
- Asda - £355.62
- Sainsbury's - £368.97
- Tesco - £375.97 (excluding Clubcard Prices)
- Morrisons - £377.81
- Ocado - £386.68
- Waitrose - £406.95
Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Buying at Aldi, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be yet again named the Cheapest Supermarket of the Year.
“As we head into the new year with continuing uncertainty and further challenging times ahead, we want to assure our customers that Aldi remains resolutely committed to providing them with the best quality products at the lowest possible prices.
“We are delighted that our efforts have been recognised by Which? for a second consecutive year.’’
A Tesco spokesperson said: “This price comparison does not take into account Clubcard Prices, which offer reductions of up to 50% on thousands of products.
“More than 20 million households regularly use their Clubcard and so this comparison is not representative of how the majority of our customers shop and doesn’t accurately reflect the cost of a shop at Tesco.
With household budgets under increasing pressure, we’re more committed than ever to providing our customers with great value by price matching Aldi on the basics, locking the price of more than a thousand household staples until Easter 2023 and offering exclusive deals and rewards through thousands of Clubcard Prices.”
