Asda was the cheapest supermarket for branded groceries in May

Asda was the cheapest, on average, for our list of branded groceries for the fourth month in a row, while Sainsbury's without a loyalty card was the most expensive once again.

Our comparison list included 234 popular branded groceries such as Heinz beans, Nescafé coffee and Mr Kipling cakes. 

If you’re attached to your branded groceries – whether that's butter and bread or coffee and cakes – read on to find out how much extra you might pay by shopping at the various supermarkets.  

Asda cheapest for branded goods

Asda was the cheapest supermarket for branded groceries in May, with the list of products costing £791.55. Sainsbury's without a loyalty card was 15% pricier. 

Supermarkets that offer loyalty schemes were the next cheapest for the month, with members receiving significant discounts compared with non-members. Tesco with a Clubcard (£811.66), Sainsbury's with a Nectar card (£818.25) and Morrisons with a More Card (£819.77) were, on average, 2.54%, 3.37% and 3.57% more expensive than Asda, respectively.

Shopping at Sainsbury’s without a Nectar loyalty card (£908.41) was the most expensive way to buy our branded list in May, at nearly 15% more on average than Asda. Tesco without a Clubcard (£896.47) was 13% more than Asda. Without a loyalty card, both were more expensive than high-end Waitrose (£873.52) and Ocado (£848.90).

• Find out more: The best supermarkets in 2026, rated by customers

The impact of loyalty card pricing

There were 159 products from Sainsbury’s on loyalty promotion through the month of our analysis, 140 at Tesco and six at Morrisons. None of the products on our list were part of a loyalty promotion at Waitrose.

While most people are part of a membership scheme, some customers may be unwilling to sign up to loyalty cards for reasons such as data privacy, and others have no choice due to unfair eligibility criteria. 

Currently, Tesco customers aged under 18 can't sign up for a Clubcard, but the supermarket recently said it would review this before the end of the year.

Asda and Ocado don’t have member-only pricing.

• Find out more: Huge win for shoppers as Tesco reviews unfair Clubcard policy

The products with the biggest price differences

We’ve compared the average price of branded groceries across supermarkets in May, including loyalty discounts where applicable, and identified the products with the largest percentage difference between the cheapest and most expensive supermarkets. 

On average, Listerine Total Care Clean Mint Antibacterial Mouthwash (500ml) saw the biggest difference between the highest and lowest price. It was at its lowest price, on average, at Sainsbury's with a Nectar card (£2.80), and was most expensive at Tesco without a loyalty card, where it was £5.90.

Ocado and Waitrose weren't the cheapest for any of our examples this month. 

• Find out more: See how the supermarket loyalty schemes compare

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What did the supermarkets say?

Each supermarket included in our price analysis was given the right to reply to our specific examples.

Rachel Eyre, chief customer officer at Asda, said: 'We know our customers are watching their budgets closely, which is why we’re determined to deliver great value every time they shop with us. Being named the UK’s cheapest supermarket for branded goods for four months in a row is a clear sign we’re doing just that. But it’s not just about big brands. 

'Whether customers are choosing their favourite household names or shopping our own-brand ranges, we’re focused on offering consistently lower prices than Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, no loyalty card and no catches. Put simply, whatever our customers need, they can trust Asda to help them save money every time they shop.'

Morrisons said: 'At Morrisons, we believe in providing good, honest value, ensuring customers can spend less while always enjoying the quality we are famous for. Our More Card members can earn Five More Points on every product in store, online and in Morrisons Daily stores, in addition to benefiting from personalised offers and money-off coupons on the things they buy the most of. Customers dining in our Cafés can also take advantage of popular offers, including our daily Kids Eat Free promotion and free refills on all hot drinks.'

Sainsbury’s said: 'Ten out of the eleven items flagged in this report were cheaper on Nectar Prices and our customers know a good deal when they see one, with 85 per cent of sales involving a Nectar card.

'We are committed to delivering outstanding value on the products people buy the most, including over 700 products in the biggest Aldi Price Match on the market and our own‑brand value lines.'

Waitrose said: 'We consistently offer great value on our customers' favourite brands. This assessment only provides a snapshot, and does not take into account the wide range of promotions we offer on branded products throughout the year.'

• Find out more: Aldi Price Match scheme secrets

Where are Aldi and Lidl?

Our research has shown that the discounters offer good value, and are consistently the lowest priced in our monthly cheapest supermarket analysis, which includes a large number of own-label products and a handful of branded items. 

We couldn’t include Aldi and Lidl in this analysis because they don’t stock the same range of branded goods as the non-discounter supermarkets.

• Find out more: The cheapest supermarket of the month