UK’s cheapest supermarket revealed — full list ranked

As prices continue to soar, shoppers face a tactical decision about where to find the best deals. With supermarkets competing through price matching and loyalty schemes such as Clubcard and Nectar, it can be difficult to know where to shop.

However, consumer watchdog Which? has ranked the UK’s major supermarkets, including Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Waitrose, Aldi, Lidl, Tesco and Sainsbury’s, to identify which was the cheapest in July. The organisation compared the average cost of a basket of 93 popular grocery items, made up of a mix of own-brand and branded products such as milk, cheese and Hovis sliced bread. Read on for the full details and ranking of the cheapest shops.

Who won?

Aldi has once again been named the UK’s cheapest supermarket, with savings that could make a real difference for families trying to keep grocery bills down.

New figures show that a trolley of 93 popular items cost £158.05 at Aldi in July, compared with £188.45 at Tesco, even with Clubcard prices. That means shoppers could pay £30.40 more for the same list at Tesco than at Aldi, based on the monthly comparison.

How did the other supermarkets fare?

In second place was Lidl, Aldi’s closest challenger. A full trolley would cost customers £160.70, just £2.65 more than Aldi for the same shop.

Asda came in third at £185.81, with Which? saying it remains one of the cheapest supermarkets in its analysis, regardless of loyalty-style pricing.

When it came to the supermarket loyalty schemes, Sainsbury’s Nectar prices were lower than Tesco’s Clubcard prices. Sainsbury’s with Nectar came out at £187.86 versus Tesco’s Clubcard price at £188.45, a difference of just 59p.

However, Which? warned there’s a “sting in the tail (that) remains for non-members: without a loyalty card.” Without Nectar pricing, Sainsbury’s rose to £197.85, making it one of the most expensive options, whereas Tesco (without Clubcard) was priced at £195.63.

At the top end, Waitrose was the priciest in Which?’s table at £226.95. The watchdog said Waitrose is “a staggering 44 per cent more expensive than Aldi for comparable items”.

Ocado was named the second most expensive shop and 32 percent pricier than Aldi.

Reena Sewraz, Which? Retail Editor, commented: “While inflation remains stable for now, many households will be worried about prices going up in the coming months.

“The discounters are still the cheapest supermarkets, while Asda beats Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s loyalty scheme prices according to our analysis.

“When walking into one supermarket over another – or forgetting your loyalty card – can mean paying over 40 percent more for comparable everyday essentials, switching where you shop is still the fastest way to slash your weekly grocery bill.”

Full Which? July price table

• Aldi — £158.05
• Lidl — £160.70
• Asda — £185.81
• Sainsbury’s (with Nectar) — £187.86
• Tesco (with Clubcard) — £188.45
• Morrisons — £195.63
• Tesco (without Clubcard) — £195.63
• Sainsbury’s (without Nectar) — £197.85
• Ocado — £209.40
• Waitrose — £226.95

Which? said its monthly comparison uses a consistent basket of widely bought groceries and calculates the average price of each item across the month, including special offers and loyalty discounts where they apply, but not multibuy deals.

However, it does not publish the full list of products to prevent retailers from trying to influence the results.

Tesco has been contacted for comment.