Aldi remains UK's cheapest supermarket, Which? reveals, as Tesco edges Sainsbury’s in loyalty price rivalry

Aldi has once again beaten Lidl to the title of Which? cheapest supermarket of the month, as Tesco’s Clubcard turned the tables on Sainsbury’s Nectar for everyday groceries. 

The consumer champion's list of 93 items was cheapest at Aldi in September (£159.48)  followed by Lidl with Lidl Plus prices (£161.48) - a difference of £2. 

As part of their ongoing rivalry, Tesco offered 22 loyalty discounts on Which?'s tracking list in September, allowing it to leapfrog Sainsbury’s Nectar pricing (£188.95) with a member total of £187.71. 

Asda stood firmly in fourth place costing £186.71 on average, remaining one of the cheapest supermarkets regardless of loyalty schemes. Morrisons (£193.13) also proved cheaper than the standard, non-loyalty prices of both Tesco (£193.45) and Sainsbury's (£195.01) - but Morrisons with More only shaved 20p on average off its standard pricing (£192.93). 

Having a loyalty card pays: without Nectar, Sainsbury’s was one of the most expensive options at £195.01, beating only Ocado and Waitrose on price. 

Waitrose was once again the most expensive supermarket at £223.38, coming in at a whopping 40 per cent pricier than Aldi for a comparable shopping list of groceries. Ocado remained second dearest at £208.64, charging almost 31 per cent more than Aldi. 

September’s list of 93 items included a mixture of own-brand and branded products - including milk, cheese and Hovis sliced bread.

This latest pricing analysis from Which? demonstrates that shoppers can make considerable savings on their groceries depending on where they buy their food.

Reena Sewraz, Which? Retail Editor, said:

“With energy bills a major concern as the cold weather approaches, many households will be looking for ways to trim the cost of their food shop.

“A £60 mark-up on everyday groceries is a steep price to pay for store loyalty. September’s analysis proves once again that the discounters are the place to go to save - and when the cost gap is that wide, switching where you shop remains the quickest way to cut your grocery bill.”

ENDS

Notes to editors: 

Research

Each month Which? compares how much supermarkets charge for a selection of groceries. This month it compared 93 items that were available across all eight supermarkets. The data is based on availability across supermarkets each month. This list is made up of some of the UK’s most popular groceries, based on industry data on sales value and availability. Which? includes special offers and loyalty discounts where they apply but not multibuys.

Because the main list of groceries remains unchanged from month to month, Which? never shares the full list of products with retailers as it wants to avoid any attempt to skew the results. Which? wants retailers to work to make groceries affordable across the depth and breadth of their available lines.

For the shop, 93 items were analysed, which included a mixture of own-brand and branded products. 

There were 22 products on loyalty discount at Tesco, 21 at Sainsbury’s, 2 at Lidl and 1 at Morrisons.

Average price

Which? checks the prices of hundreds of grocery items at eight major supermarkets throughout the year, using an independent price comparison website. For each supermarket, Which? works out the average price of each item across the month, then adds those up to get each store’s average price.

The consumer champion’s shopping list comprises the country’s most popular and widely available groceries, based on extensive market analysis. It includes branded items as well as own-brand products such as potatoes and baked beans.

Own-brand items won’t be identical across supermarkets, but Which? has ensured everything compared is as similar as possible based on a number of factors, including quality and weight.

Loyalty pricing

Which? looked at loyalty pricing for Lidl, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons, but none of the items on the consumer champion's shopping list had a loyalty price at Waitrose this month.

Asda's Rewards scheme offers cashback on products with loyalty promotions. Which? hasn’t factored this into its main analysis because loyalty members don't receive a discount on the day and the cashback is only redeemable at Asda, within a limited period (up to nine months) and in increments of £1.

As there are restrictions on who can access loyalty prices, Which? will only award a cheapest supermarket endorsement to the retailer with the lowest prices that are available to all consumers.

Useful links:

• Loyalty cards compared
• How to spend less at the supermarket
• Which? Food Inflation Tracker

About Which?

Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, empowering people to make confident choices and demand better. Through our research, investigations and product testing, we provide trusted insight and expert recommendations on the issues that matter most to consumers.

Fiercely independent, we put people over profit - shining a light on unfair practices, influencing policy and holding businesses to account to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone.

The information in this press release is for editorial use by journalists and media outlets only. Any business seeking to reproduce information in this release should contact the Which? Endorsement Scheme team at endorsementscheme@which.co.uk.