Cheapest supermarket named as Aldi but Asda loses big supermarket title

The consumer champion’s monthly analysis involves comparing the average prices of a shop consisting of popular groceries at eight of the UK’s biggest supermarkets. Which? experts also look at a larger trolley of groceries at six supermarkets, as the discounters do not always stock big-brand products. 

The cheapest supermarket for a smaller basket of goods this month was Aldi, where a basket of goods costs £71.22 on average across the month. 

Fellow discounter Lidl was just behind Aldi, with a difference of £1.38 (£72.60 on average).

Waitrose was the most expensive this month, with a basket of groceries totalling £87.24 on average, which is 22 per cent more than Aldi – a difference of £16.02.

Which? also compared the cost of a larger trolley of 135 items – the original 38, plus 97 more. These items included a larger number of branded items, such as Andrex toilet paper and Cathedral City cheese, and did not include discounter supermarkets Aldi and Lidl, as they do not always stock some of these products. 

This month, Morrisons was the cheapest for this larger trolley of groceries, pushing Asda into second place for the first time since January 2020. 

 Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services said: “Households up and down the country are having their budgets squeezed by the cost of living crisis and our latest research shows that once again Aldi is the cheapest supermarket.

“For a larger trolley of items, Asda has been knocked off its perch as the cheapest option for the first time in several years with Morrison pipping it to the post for value.     

“Which? believes that supermarkets are currently failing to adequately help shoppers during the current crisis. They must ensure everyone has easy access to basic, affordable food ranges at a store near them – including providing a range of essential budget lines that support a healthy diet in smaller convenience stores where they have them. 

“They must also provide transparent and comparable pricing so people can easily work out which products offer the best value.”

Cheapest supermarket for a basket

(Basket is based on 38 items, price below is average)

• Aldi – £71.22
• Lidl – £72.60
• Asda – £78.65
• Tesco – £79.59
• Sainsbury’s – £81.06
• Morrisons – £82
• Ocado – £86.26
• Waitrose – £87.24

Cheapest supermarket for a trolley

(Trolley is based on 135 items, price below is average)

• Morrisons – £341.92
• Asda – £342.14
• Tesco – £360.97
• Ocado – £367.96
• Sainsbury’s – £370.54
• Waitrose – £376.66