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Aldi has been crowned the cheapest supermarket for a trolley full of 65 items despite rivals promising to match prices, new findings reveal.
In June, the average bill for a 65-item hamper at Aldi was £118.41, £32.60 less than at the most expensive Waitrose, at £151.01.
Waitrose was found to be almost 28 per cent more expensive than Aldi for the same products in June.
Price wars! Aldi and Lidl were the two cheapest supermarkets last month, according to Which?
Julie Ashfield, Aldi UK’s general manager for buying, said: ‘We’re delighted to have been named the cheapest supermarket for the sixth time this year, which reinforces that Aldi’s prices simply can’t be matched, even with a loyalty card.
‘After all, there is only one supermarket where every price is an Aldi price.
“But it’s not just low, consistent prices that buyers 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 grocery list.
Lidl was the second cheapest supermarket last month, with 65 items normally costing £121.31, just £2.90 more than Aldi, according to consumer group Which?
Behind Aldi, Lidl and Tesco Clubcard was Asda, which came in fourth as the cheapest option, with a trolley of goods costing £131.42.
Although 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 reveal the full list of items in the trolley, but told This is Money it included a number of branded and own-label items such as Birds Eye peas, Heinz baked beans, milk, butter and Hovis bread.
The results included prices for purchases made 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 a Tesco loyalty card, bills at the two supermarkets came to £137.51 and £134.30 respectively, Which? said.
Ele Clark, retail editor at Which?, said: ‘With food prices continuing to squeeze household budgets, it’s no surprise that many people are opting to shop at discounters, and Aldi has once again claimed the title of cheapest supermarket.
‘Our analysis shows that Aldi and Lidl are still cheaper than traditional supermarkets, even when loyalty prices are included.’
Coronado: Aldi emerged as the cheapest supermarket according to a new study by Which?
Expensive: Waitrose was ranked the most expensive supermarket by Which? last month
Price wars in supermarkets
Shoppers have endured sharp price increases at the supermarket checkout amid rising inflation and interest rates.
Supermarkets are engaged in a price war to ensure that customers continue to come to their stores and attract a loyal following. Loyalty programs have become big business for many chains.
Some chains, such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco, have increased their use of member-only pricing, meaning customers without a loyalty card will have to pay higher prices for certain products.
As supermarkets engage in a price war, many consumers are facing high bills.
Nearly one in four shoppers said they were struggling to keep up with mounting bills and make ends meet, according to Kantar research last month.
However, in its findings, Kantar noted that food prices were starting to fall.
In June, it said: “Prices are falling in almost a third of the food product categories we analysed, including toilet paper, butter and milk. This is a big increase from last year, when only 1 per cent of markets were in decline.”
Inflation rose 2 percent in the year to May, up from 2.3 percent in the 12 months to April, the Office for National Statistics said last month.
The biggest contributor to the fall in inflation was lower food prices, he added.
On a budget: Jenny Blyth shops at Aldi and says she can’t afford to shop at 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 at Aldi about once a week because the prices are so competitive and the products are great. They have started to introduce larger ranges and the middle aisle is fantastic.
‘Brand names have never been important to me, so I’m happy that Aldi is stocking quality products at a fraction of the cost, even though I sometimes can’t find everything I need there.’
Jenny spends around £50 a week, or £200 a month, on groceries but has seen her bills rise in recent years, something she finds difficult to cope with as a self-employed small business owner.
She said: “Waitrose and M&S are definitely not in my budget. I might go to them if it’s a special occasion or I need something specific, but unless it’s on sale I probably wouldn’t buy anything.”
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