Aldi has been crowned the cheapest supermarket for a trolley-load of 65 products despite rivals promising to price match, new findings reveal.
In June, the average bill for a trolley of 65 items at Aldi was £118.41, coming in £32.60 less than at Waitrose, which was the most expensive, at £151.01.
Waitrose was found to be nearly 28 per cent more expensive than Aldi for the same products in June.
Price wars! Aldi and Lidl came out as the two cheapest supermarkets last month, Which? said
Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying at Aldi UK, said: ‘We’re thrilled to have been named the cheapest supermarket for the sixth time this year – reaffirming that Aldi prices just can’t be matched, even with a loyalty card.
‘After all, there’s only one supermarket where every price is an Aldi price.
‘But it’s not just consistently low prices that shoppers get with us, it’s also award-winning quality.’
Aldi was £19.10 cheaper than Sainsbury’s Nectar and £15.89 cheaper than Tesco Clubcard for the same list of groceries.
Lidl was the second cheapest supermarket last month, with 65 items typically costing £121.31, just £2.90 more than Aldi, according to consumer group Which?
Trailing behind Aldi, Lidl and Tesco Clubcard was Asda, which came in fourth cheapest, with the trolley of goods costing £131.42.
While Waitrose was found to be the most expensive, Morrisons and Ocado were not far behind, with average bills of £140.19 and £144.06 respectively.
Which? does not disclose the full list of items in the trolley, but told This is Money that it included a number of both branded and own-brand items, such as Birds Eye garden peas, Heinz baked beans, milk, butter and Hovis bread.
The findings included prices for shopping using a Nectar loyalty card at Sainsbury’s and a Clubcard at Tesco, which offer cheaper deals in exchange for having the loyalty card.
Without a Sainsbury’s Nectar card or Tesco loyalty card, the bills at the two supermarkets came in at £137.51 and £134.30 respectively, Which? said.
Ele Clark, Which? retail editor, said: ‘With food prices continuing to squeeze household budgets, it comes as no surprise that many people are choosing to shop with the discounters, and Aldi has again won the cheapest supermarket title.
‘Our analysis shows that Aldi and Lidl are still cheaper than the traditional supermarkets, even when you include loyalty pricing.’
Crowned: Aldi came out as the cheapest supermarket in new research by Which?
Pricey: Waitrose was found to be the most expensive supermarket by Which? last month
Supermarket price wars
Shoppers have endured sweeping price hikes at supermarket checkouts amid higher inflation and interest rates.
Supermarkets are locked in a price war to ensure they keep customers footfall up and attract a loyal following. Loyalty schemes have become big business for many chains.
Some chains, like Sainsbury’s and Tesco, have upped their use of member-only prices, meaning customers without a loyalty card face paying higher prices for certain products.
While supermarkets are locked in a price war, many consumers are struggling with high bills.
Nearly one in four shoppers said they were struggling to keep on top of spiralling bills and make ends meet, research from Kantar said last month.
However, in its findings, Kantar noted that grocery prices were beginning to fall.
It said in June: ‘Costs are falling in nearly one third of the grocery categories we track, including toilet tissues, butter and milk. That’s a big increase from last year, when just 1 per cent of markets were declining.’
Inflation rose by 2 per cent in the year to May, down from 2.3 per cent in the 12 months to April, the Office for National Statistics said last month.
The biggest contributor to falling inflation was lower food prices, it added.
On a budget: Jenny Blyth shops at Aldi and says she can’t afford M&S or Waitrose
Jenny Blyth, 37, lives in north London with her sister and runs her own business, Storm in a Teacup Gifts.
She told This is Money: ‘I shop in Aldi roughly once a week because the prices are so competitive and the products are great. They’ve started introducing bigger ranges and the middle aisle is fantastic.
‘Brand names have never been important to me so, I’m happy that Aldi is revising quality products at a fraction of the cost, though I sometimes can’t find everything I need in there.’
Jenny spends around £50 a week, or £200 per month, on groceries, but has seen her bills rise in recent years., which she’s found hard to cope with as a self-employed small business owner.
She said: ‘Waitrose and M&S are definitely not in my price range. I might go to them if it’s a special occasion or I need something specific, but unless it’s on offer I probably wouldn’t buy anything.’
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