Aldi has regained its title as the most budget-friendly supermarket in the UK. According to a recent study by consumer group Which?, a basket of 70 essential items at Aldi averaged £121.22 last month, edging out Lidl, which held the top spot in October with an average cost of £122.35 for the same items, or £1.13 more when factoring in discounts for Lidl Plus loyalty members. Tesco, though pricier, offered savings for Clubcard holders, with an average price of £133.65 compared to £136.20 for non-members.
On the other end of the spectrum, Waitrose emerged as the most expensive option, averaging £166.79 for the basket of items. Opting for either Aldi or Waitrose for all groceries could result in savings exceeding £45.
Which? conducts this comparison monthly, analyzing the prices of a set of groceries at eight different supermarket chains, including both own-brand and branded products like Birds Eye peas and Hovis bread.
In a separate analysis of a larger list of 183 items that excludes Aldi and Lidl due to their limited range of branded goods, Asda was identified as the most cost-effective choice, with an average total of £455.52 in the previous month. Asda’s commitment to reducing prices to recapture market share from competitors, including discount retailers, was evident in these findings.
For the larger shopping list, Asda’s average bill was £9.71 lower than Tesco’s when considering Clubcard discounts. Meanwhile, Waitrose stood out as the priciest option for the extensive shopping list, costing £522.91, a considerable £67.39 more than Asda. Additionally, Waitrose maintained its position as the most expensive supermarket for the smaller list of items, with an average cost of £166.79, representing a 38% difference compared to Aldi, equating to £45.57.
Reena Sewraz, the retail editor at Which?, noted the ongoing competition between discount supermarkets, highlighting Lidl as another cost-effective choice alongside Aldi. With the holiday season approaching, household budgets may be a concern, but a comparison of prices across supermarkets could lead to significant savings, potentially up to 27%.
Based on the 70-item comparison, the average costs from least to most expensive were as follows: Aldi (£121.22), Lidl (including loyalty discount – £122.35), Lidl (£122.40), Asda (£133.59), Tesco (including loyalty discount – £133.65), Tesco (£136.20), Morrisons (£137.40), Sainsbury’s (including loyalty discount – £137.77), Sainsbury’s (£141.62), Ocado (£154.37), and Waitrose (£166.79). For the 183-item comparison, the average costs ranked from lowest to highest were: Asda (£455.52), Tesco (including loyalty discount – £465.23), Sainsbury’s (including loyalty discount – £471.84), Morrisons (including loyalty discount – £476.96), Morrisons (£478.96), Tesco (£497.01), Ocado (£501.03), Sainsbury’s (£507.24), and Waitrose (£522.91).
