Aldi has retained its position as the UK's cheapest supermarket, with a basket of 92 everyday groceries costing an average of £159.36 in August, according to consumer group Which?. That total was £30.09 less than the equivalent shop at Tesco with Clubcard discounts, which came to £189.45.
Lidl was the second-cheapest option, with the same basket costing £161.10 — just £1.74 more than Aldi. Asda finished third with a bill of £185.21, while a Sainsbury's basket cost Nectar members £185.55, only 34p more than Asda, after loyalty discounts were applied to 26 products.
Full price comparison across eight supermarkets
Which? compared prices at eight of the UK's biggest supermarkets throughout August, checking 92 popular branded and own-brand groceries, including milk, cheese and Hovis sliced bread. The full results showed a wide range of totals:
- Aldi — £159.36
- Lidl — £161.10
- Asda — £185.21
- Sainsbury's with Nectar — £185.55
- Tesco with Clubcard — £189.45
- Tesco — £192.97
- Morrisons — £194.11
- Sainsbury's without Nectar — £195.33
- Ocado — £207.62
- Waitrose — £223.75
The data also highlighted the impact of loyalty schemes. Without a Nectar card, the same Sainsbury's shop cost £195.33, almost £10 extra. Tesco without a Clubcard cost £192.97, with Clubcard members saving £3.52 on the basket.
Loyalty cards and discounter advantage
Which? Retail Editor Reena Sewraz said: "Our research shows that the discounters remain the cheapest option for everyday essentials. While Asda continues to beat loyalty prices at Tesco and Sainsbury's, loyalty cards can make a huge impact at the till."
Which? explained its methodology: "We check the prices of hundreds of grocery items at eight major supermarkets, using an independent price comparison website. For each supermarket, we calculate the average price of each item across the month, then add those up to get each supermarket's average total price."
The findings underline that Aldi and Lidl continue to undercut traditional supermarkets on everyday essentials, even when loyalty discounts are factored in, with Waitrose emerging as the most expensive option at £223.75 for the same basket.
