Aldi has once again been named the most affordable supermarket in the UK, narrowly surpassing its discount competitor Lidl.
Which?, a consumer group, conducts a monthly comparison of grocery prices among eight major supermarket chains in the UK. The list for July comprised 93 items, ranging from own-brand to branded products like milk, cheese, and Hovis sliced bread.
In the latest analysis by Which?, Aldi emerged as the cheapest option at £158.05, with Lidl closely trailing at £160.70. Asda secured the third spot on the list at £185.81, maintaining its position as one of the budget-friendly supermarkets even without loyalty programs.
This news brings relief to Asda, which is grappling with declining market share and fierce competition. Speculations have surfaced about a potential merger between Asda and Sainsbury’s, reviving talks of a £12 billion tie-up that fell through seven years ago.
According to Which?, customers utilizing the Nectar loyalty scheme discounts at Sainsbury’s spent an average of £187.86 on their major grocery shopping. This amount was slightly lower than Tesco’s Clubcard prices at £188.45. Morrisons and Tesco, without a Clubcard, shared the same total expenditure for the list in July at £195.63.
Waitrose retained its position as the most expensive supermarket at £226.95, marking a 44% price difference compared to Aldi for similar items. Ocado followed as the second most expensive at £209.40, representing a 32% premium over Aldi.
Reena Sewraz, the Retail Editor at Which?, commented on the findings, noting the stability of inflation for the time being. She emphasized the cost-effectiveness of discount retailers, highlighting Asda’s competitive pricing against Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s loyalty scheme rates.
Sewraz further advised consumers on the significant savings that can be achieved by choosing where to shop wisely, emphasizing that switching supermarkets remains an effective strategy to reduce weekly grocery expenses.
