Aldi retains title as nation’s cheapest supermarket but Asda is beaten by Tesco and Sainsbury’s loyalty prices, Which? reveals
Aldi has once again defended its crown as Which? cheapest supermarket of the month while Asda drops to fifth place - beaten on price by Tesco’s Clubcard and Sainsbury’s Nectar for everyday essentials.
The consumer champion's list of 87 items was cheapest at Aldi in October (£154.34). Lidl Plus followed closely at £157.17, though the app barely made a dent - beating non-member Lidl prices (£157.21) by just 4p on average.
The battle for third place saw Asda (£183.47) pushed down the ranks by rivals with two-tiered member pricing. Tesco’s Clubcard prices beat Sainsbury’s with Nectar, coming in with a basket total of £181.77 across 18 discounted products, while Sainsbury’s followed hot on its heels at £182.90, aided by 21 Nectar discounts on Which?’s October tracking list.
Despite having beaten Tesco and Sainsbury’s member prices in September, Asda slipped to fifth place - outpaced in a competitive market. At £186.77, Morrisons came in ahead of Tesco (£187.31) and Sainsbury’s (£191.56) without loyalty prices.
Sainsbury’s competitive edge relies heavily on member pricing: without Nectar, it was over £8 more expensive, with only Ocado and Waitrose charging more. Tesco saw a similar divide, where non-members faced paying £5 more for the same items.
Waitrose and Ocado remained the table's priciest grocers by a considerable margin. Ocado totalled £202.33, while Waitrose was dearest overall at £215.87 - just under 40% more expensive than Aldi’s winning £154.34 basket.
October’s list of 87 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 winter setting in and Christmas around the corner, shoppers may be looking to save on their weekly grocery bills to free up cash for festive treats.
“At some supermarkets, scanning a loyalty card is essential to avoid paying over the odds. Yet with a near 40% price gap separating the cheapest and dearest supermarket, switching to a discounter is the fastest way to save ahead of Christmas.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Research
Each month Which? compares how much supermarkets charge for a selection of groceries. This month it compared 87 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, 87 items were analysed, which included a mixture of own-brand and branded products.
| Supermarket | Average Price | Percentage Difference (vs. Aldi) |
Aldi | £154.34 | 0.00% |
Lidl (with Lidl Plus) | £157.17 | 1.83% |
Lidl | £157.21 | 1.86% |
Tesco (with Clubcard) | £181.77 | 17.77% |
Sainsbury’s (with Nectar) | £182.90 | 18.50% |
Asda | £183.47 | 18.87% |
Morrisons | £186.77 | 21.01% |
Tesco | £187.31 | 21.36% |
Sainsbury’s | £191.56 | 24.12% |
Ocado | £202.33 | 31.09% |
Waitrose | £215.87 | 39.87% |
There were 18 products on loyalty discount at Tesco, 21 at Sainsbury’s and 1 at Lidl
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 and Sainsbury's but none of the items on the consumer champion's shopping list had a loyalty price at Waitrose and Morrisons 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.
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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.
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