Aldi has been named the UK’s cheapest supermarket by Which?, as the consumer champion found shoppers could save almost £27 on a basket of items there compared to the most expensive store. Which?’s analysis involved comparing the prices of a shop consisting of 48 popular groceries at eight of the UK’s biggest supermarkets.
The cheapest supermarket was Aldi, where the basket of goods was £77.21 on average. The same shop at Waitrose was £104.11 on average, making it £26.90 more expensive in comparison. Which? also compared the cost of a larger trolley of 149 items – the original 48, plus 101 more. This shop included a larger number of branded items, such as Andrex toilet paper and Cathedral City cheese, and did not include discounter supermarkets Aldi and Lidl, which do not always stock some of these products.
Asda cost the least for this larger trolley of groceries, continuing its winning streak, which started in January 2020, as the cheapest traditional supermarket. It cost £355.34, on average, for this shop, beating the next cheapest, Sainsbury's (£366.83), by £11.49. Waitrose was an eye-watering £38.03 more expensive than Asda, coming in at £393.37, on average, for the trolley of comparable goods.
This latest pricing analysis from Which? demonstrates that shoppers can make considerable savings on their grocery budget depending on where they buy their food. Which? recently launched its Affordable Food For All campaign. The consumer champion is calling on supermarkets to provide the support people around the country desperately need in order to keep food on the table during the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Reena Sewraz, Which? Retail Editor, said: "No one wants to overpay for basic groceries, especially in the build-up to the festive season when many household budgets will be stretched.
“Our findings show that while prices are going up, some supermarkets are significantly more expensive than others. As well as choosing a supermarket that is cheap overall, other ways to save include swapping from branded to supermarket own-brand products, sticking to a shopping list, and resisting the temptation to pick up special offers you don’t need.”
Retailer |
Average basket price |
|---|---|
Aldi |
£77.21 |
Lidl |
£78.57 |
Tesco |
£87.60 |
Asda |
£87.66 |
Sainsbury’s |
£89.85 |
Morrisons |
£93.49 |
Ocado |
£96.09 |
Waitrose |
£104.11 |
Full table of trolley results:
Retailer |
Average trolley price |
|---|---|
Asda |
£355.34 |
Sainsbury's |
£366.83 |
Tesco |
£375.90 |
Morrisons |
£377.83 |
Ocado |
£380.44 |
Waitrose |
£393.37 |
