Aldi has grown in popularity of late, as many customers have turned to the budget retailer amid the ongoing cost of living crisis. Aldi is consistently named Which’s? “cheapest supermarket”, with the consumer champion platform comparing a basket of grocery staples bought from each of eight major UK supermarkets on a monthly basis.
Commenting on this previously, Aldi’s managing director of buying Julie Ashfield said: “We know that so many families across the UK are feeling the pinch, with many unsure of what the future holds. At Aldi, we’re dedicated to keeping costs low for our customers, without compromising on the high quality they’ve come to expect from us.”
She added, “We’re so happy to be named the UK’s cheapest supermarket yet again and are thrilled that our commitment to the lowest prices continues to be recognised.”
Lidl, another budget-friendly option, is often just behind Aldi in these comparisons, with sometimes less than £1 between the two. Lidl’s strategy, as stated on its website, involves “keeping our ranges simple so that we can avoid ‘range overload’ making the most of our space in store and keep costs down, helping you to shop efficiently.”
As for other supermarkets, the latest Which? report for October found Aldi to be the most economical choice, with an average price of £111.66 for a basket of 62 grocery items. In contrast, Waitrose was at the higher end, with an average basket price of £142.39.
Here is a full list of Which’s? average prices for the same 62 items from the major supermarkets it uses in its comparisons:
- Aldi – £111.66
- Lidl with Lidl Plus – £112.07
- Lidl – £112.33
- Tesco with Clubcard – £122.26
- Tesco – £125.09
- Asda – £125.26
- Sainsbury’s with Nectar – £125.93
- Morrisons with More – £128.96
- Morrisons – £130.05
- Sainsbury’s – £130.79
- Ocado – £135.47
- Waitrose – £142.39
Which? also tracks the cost of a “big shop” across the major supermarkets. This features a trolley packed with 164 items, including 62 essentials and 102 other popular products. Aldi and Lidl are excluded from this comparison as it includes “a wider selection of branded items, which were unavailable at the discounters.”
Asda was the cheapest for a “big shop” in October, with a total bill of £418.71. Tesco was the second-cheapest option, but only for shoppers with a Clubcard, with a total cost of £422.54.
The average “big shop” prices in full can be found below:
- Asda – £418.71
- Tesco with Clubcard – £422.54
- Morrisons with More – £428.32
- Sainsbury’s with Nectar – £429.21
- Morrisons – £448.55
- Tesco – £449.99
- Ocado – £454.56
- Sainsbury’s – £459.58
- Waitrose – £461.10
We approached the major supermarkets to ask why their prices are often higher than Aldi’s. Here’s what they had to say:
A spokesperson for Waitrose said: “Our animal welfare standards, quality and customer service set us apart. We’re number one for animal welfare, with more awards from Compassion in Word Farming than any other UK supermarket. We also pay our farmers fairly – some of whom we’ve worked with for over 30 years.”
“For example: we are the only supermarket to sell 100% free-range, own-brand fresh milk; all our own-brand fresh pork is British and outdoor-bred; and we have held CiWF’s Good Chicken Award since it began in 2010. We also work to exceptional levels of quality across all our products.”
A spokesperson for Ocado said: “Customers enjoy our innovative and exclusive products, such as our highly acclaimed Ottolenghi range, and recently relaunched No.1 range, which includes nearly 200 new products including honey smoked salmon, Wagyu rib eye steak, and pistachio croissants.
“We offer the widest range of choice for customers to suit all types of needs and budgets. Since March 2023, and alongside multiple rounds of our Big Price Drop, the Ocado Price Promise matches customers’ shop to Tesco.com on more than 10,000 products, including Clubcard prices.”
Asda’s representative said: “Asda is consistently recognised as the best-value traditional supermarket in independent price comparison surveys including the Which? ‘Big Shop’ price survey. This week we were also recognised as being the cheapest supermarket in The Grocer 33 basket comparison, despite this survey now including loyalty pricing.
“In addition, customers also get the added benefits of shopping at Asda rather than the discounters – such as household brands they love, great fashion and homeware from George, the best value supermarket fuel and cash rewards through the Asda Rewards app.
“The app gives customers money back into their Cashpot each time they shop, which they can use to reduce the price they pay at the till. In less than two years since its launch, Asda Rewards is now used by over six million customers who have saved more than £600m in total.”
Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrison’s were all contacted for a response but had not replied by the time of publication.