In news that probably won't surprise its shoppers, Aldi has been named the cheapest supermarket of the year, narrowly beating its main rival Lidl.
The Which? survey found Aldi was the cheapest supermarket for six of the last 12 months. Lidl was the cheapest for five months, including December 2021.
Lidl and Aldi tied for the lowest price essential shop in the remaining month, January 2021, when a basket of 19 items came in at £18.45 at both supermarkets.
Which? looked at the cost of everyday groceries and household essentials such as bread, milk and eggs, found Aldi as the nation’s cheapest supermarket in 2021, although Lidl was the cheapest in the most recent month.
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Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Buying at Aldi, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be named the Cheapest Supermarket of the Year. We are committed to ensuring that our customers have access to the highest quality products at the best possible prices.
"This is a commitment to our customers that is set in stone and we’re proud that it has been recognised by Which?, supporting shoppers at a time when the cost of living is rising.”
The survey tracked grocery prices at eight supermarket chains, and found they were charging up to 9% more in December 2021 than January 2021.
Waitrose recorded the biggest price increase, at 9.2%, while Sainsbury's was the lowest, at 0.59%
On average, prices rose by 3.4% for the 19 item shop over the course of 2021.
Lidl, which was the cheapest supermarket in 2020, offered the best deal for shoppers in December, at £23.29 for a basket of 22 groceries compared with £23.64 at Aldi.
Waitrose was more than £9, or 41%, more expensive than Lidl, at £32.85.
Waitrose was also consistently the most expensive supermarket across the 12 months, with a basket of everyday items costing from £6 to over £10 more per month than the cheapest alternative, Which? found.
The shopping list combined branded items such as Kenco coffee, Oxo stock cubes and PG Tips tea bags with own-label products including onions and milk, selected to ensure they were as comparable as possible across the retailers on factors such as weight and quality.
Which? also compared a larger trolley containing a greater selection of items not always available at Aldi and Lidl, such as Cathedral City cheddar cheese and Kenco coffee, finding that Asda was the cheapest of the traditional supermarkets at £135.07 – £18.30 cheaper than the most expensive, Waitrose.
Waitrose was also the most expensive for the larger trolley every month except one in 2021.
Which? retail editor Ele Clark said: “No one wants to overpay for basic groceries, especially when a cost-of-living crunch is putting extra pressure on household budgets.
“Our findings show that while prices are going up, some supermarkets are passing their rising costs on to shoppers more than others.
"As well as choosing a supermarket that is cheap overall, other ways to save include swapping from branded to own-brand products, sticking to a shopping list and resisting the temptation to pick up special offers you don’t need."
A Waitrose spokesman said: “We’re working hard to deliver great value, offering ethically sourced, great-quality products at fair prices along with excellent service from our partners.”
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