Not Morrisons, Tesco or Sainsbury’s – UK’s cheapest supermarket named for big brands

The UK’s cheapest supermarket for big brand groceries has been named. It is the third month in a row that Asda has topped other popular shops including Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

Analysis from Which? has revealed Asda was the cheapest for branded items in April while Sainsbury’s, without a loyalty card, was the most exensive. The consumer site analysed the price of 240 popular branded groceries across supermarkets, including Heinz beans, Nescafé coffee and Mr Kipling cakes. However, Aldi and Lidl are not included in the analysis as they don’t stock the same range of branded goods as the other shops.

The Which? analysis for April shows Asda as the cheapest supermarket once again, with the list of 240 branded products totalling £795.21. Meanwhile, Tesco, with a Clubcard, was 3.33% more expensive at £821.67, Morrisons, with a More card, was 5.4% more at £838.15 and Sainsbury’s, with a Nectar Card, came in at 6.94% pricier at £850.39.

Without loyalty cards, Ocado came in at 9.57% higher than Asda while Waitrose was 12.58% more expensive. Sainsbury’s was the priciest overall, not including loyalty cards, coming in at 17.4% more than Asda.

Of the 240 products, 179 were on loyalty promotion at Sainsbury’s during April. Likewise, there are 144 at Tesco and just five at Morrisons.

The analysis showed the products with the biggest price differences between supermarkets, including Colgate Plax Cool Mint Mouthwash with a 125% difference between Asda and Sainsbury’s, and Tilda Boil In Bag Basmati Rice with a 115% difference between Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Meanwhile, L’Oreal Paris Elvive Bond Repair Shampoo was 100% more expensive at Sainsbury’s and Tesco compared to Asda.

Listerine Total Care Clean Mint Antibacterial Mouthwash was also 124% more expensive at Sainsbury’s than Asda. Finally, the cheapest place for Mr Kipling Angel Cake Slices was Morrisons.

A Morrisons spokesperson said: “Morrisons remains committed to providing good, honest value and we’re working hard to keep our prices down and competitive so our customers can spend less while still enjoying the quality Morrisons is famous for. In addition, our More Card members can earn Five More Points on every product in store, online and in Morrisons Daily stores and also benefit from personalised offers and money-off coupons on the things they buy the most of.

“Customers to our Cafés can also take advantage of a range of offers such as our Kids Eat Free promotion, which runs every day, or free refills on all hot drinks.”

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said all the specific examples Which? highlighted as being most expensive at Sainsbury’s were cheaper on Nectar Prices.

They added: “Our customers know a good deal when they see one, with 85% 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.”

A Waitrose spokesperson 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 on other products belonging to the brands included within this analysis.”