Prices in supermarkets seem to be climbing bit by bit as the cost of living crunch bites, but one has risen more than others in the latest comparison. Every week the the M.E.N has been comparing a basket of basics to keep track of prices.
The basket contains eight common items - a two-pint bottle of milk, a loaf of bread, coffee, teabags, butter, beans, chicken breasts and mince. It has been comparing the basket for Aldi, Lidl, Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons.
And this week it has found that the supermarket that was cheapest six weeks ago for the basket is now the most expensive. It discovered that Morrisons has gone from £9.78 at the end of May up to £11.15 - an increase of 14%.
And this week's rise is due to it hiking the price of its Savers coffee, which has risen from 70p for a 100g pack to 85p, along with its Savers beans, up from 21p to 25p. It was only this April when the retailer was promoting its Savers range as it announced cuts on more than 500 products as well as better multi-save deals, so shoppers will no doubt be disappointed to see increases to its most basic items.
Morrisons' high meat costs have also contributed to its position in the bottom spot - for the last few weeks its chicken, at £2.49 for a 300g pack, and its mince at £2.19 for 500g, have been the most expensive of the lot. It's this week's rise at Sainsbury's - where chicken has increased from £2.40 to £2.50 - which has put the two on a par for that particular product.
Aldi and Lidl are still both the cheapest for chicken, at £2.09 a pack, while Asda's new Just Essentials mince is still stealing the show at a budget £1.69. It's Lidl that remains the cheapest store of all though, coming in at £10.01, followed closely by Asda's £10.02 and Tesco's £10.32.
A 20p hike on the price of Aldi teabags has seen it slip into fourth position, followed by Sainsbury's at £10.54, which is 61p cheaper than Morrisons. The only slight difference in sizes is the baked beans, which range from 400g in Sainsbury's and 410g in Asda and Morrisons, to the standard 420g in Aldi, Lidl and Tesco. Where Asda's pack of chicken is larger, we've worked out the equivalent price for a fairer comparison.
A Morrisons spokesperson said: “We know that this is a very tough time for customers and so one of the recent changes we have made is to improve our My Morrisons loyalty scheme. Customers who are part of it will be rewarded with instant offers when they shop to help them save money."
Here's the shopping list and total for each supermarket (as of Friday, July 8)
Lidl
Loaf of white bread 800g - 36p
Milk 2 pints - £1.05
Coffee 200g - £1.69
Teabags 160 - £99p
Salted butter 250g - £1.72
Beans 420g tin - 22p
Chicken 300g - £2.09
Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.89
Total £10.01
Asda
Loaf of white bread 800g (Just Essentials) - 39p
Milk 2 pints - £1.05
Coffee 200g (2 x 100g Just Essentials) - £1.50
Teabags 160 (4 x 40-pack Smart Price) - £1.12
Salted butter 250g - £1.75
Beans 410g tin (Smart Price) - 25p
Chicken (bigger 350g pack for £2.65) - equates to £2.27
Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.69
Total £10.02
Tesco
Loaf of white bread 800g - 36p
Milk 2 pints - £1.05
Coffee 200g (2 x 100g) - £1.70
Teabags 160 (2 x 80-pack) - £1.10
Salted butter 250g - £1.75
Beans 420g tin - 22p
Chicken 300g - £2.25
Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.89
Total £10.32
Aldi
Loaf of white bread 800g - 36p
Milk 2 pints - £1.05
Coffee 200g - £1.69
Teabags 160 - £1.29 (up from £1.09)
Salted butter 250g - £1.75
Beans 420g tin - 22p
Chicken 300g - £2.09
Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.89
Total £10.34 (up from £10.14)
Sainsbury's
Loaf of white bread 800g - 36p
Milk 2 pints - £1.05
Coffee 200g £1.69
Teabags 160 - £1.09
Salted butter 250g - £1.75
Beans 400g tin - 21p
Chicken 300g - £2.50 (up from £2.40)
Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.89
Total £10.54 (up from £10.44)
Morrisons
Loaf of white bread 800g - 54p
Milk 2 pints - £1.05
Coffee (2 x 100g) - £1.70 (up from £1.40)
Teabags 160 (2 x 80-pack Savers) - £1.18
Salted butter 250g - £1.75
Beans 410g tin - 25p (up from 21p)
Chicken 300g - £2.49
Mince 500g 20% fat - £2.19
Total £11.15 (up from £10.81)
