The full list of UK supermarkets where food prices have risen the fastest over the past year has been released today – with budget retailers Lidl and Aldi experiencing the biggest increase amid rampant inflation.
According to the latest inflation figures from consumer group Which? the cost of basic foods such as cheddar cheese, white bread and oatmeal has risen by nearly 18 percent.
Overall food and drink inflation in supermarkets continued to climb to 17.2 percent in March, up from 16.5 percent the previous month – while cheddar cheese prices rose an average of 28.3 percent in eight major supermarkets – Aldi , Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose – compared to a year ago, the watchdog found.
Lidl and Aldi top the list, with inflation rates much higher than Morrisons and Asda (both 18 per cent), Sainsbury’s (15 per cent), Tesco and Waitrose (14 per cent) and Ocado (11 per cent).
Researchers looked at 26,242 products in eight large supermarkets for the study, with two other large retailers, Iceland and Co-Op, not participating. But they also pointed out that inflation is not a measure of absolute price – with Aldi and Lidl having the lowest prices.
Essential foods, including some brands of cheddar, white bread, porridge and sausages, are up as much as 80 percent in a year, with budgets showing the biggest increases
The inflation data from Which? also showed that the cost of British staples such as cheddar cheese, white bread and oatmeal has skyrocketed a year ago.
| Supermarket | Annual average inflation % |
|---|---|
| Lidl | 25.2% |
| Aldi | 23.7% |
| Morrisons | 18.0% |
| Asda | 17.5% |
| Sainsbury’s | 15.0% |
| tesco | 14.4% |
| Waitrose | 14.1% |
| Ocado | 10.7% |
| Data from which? study on annual inflation, based on the month to the end of March 2023 compared to the same period a year earlier. They looked at 26,242 products in eight large supermarkets. | |
Overall inflation of food and drink in supermarkets continued to rise to 17.2 percent in March, up from 16.5 percent the previous month, the watchdog found.
Cheddar cheese prices rose by an average of 28.3 percent in the eight supermarkets compared to a year ago.
However, one cheese, Dragon Welsh Mature Cheddar 180g at Asda, rose from £1 in the three months to the end of March last year to £1.80 in the same period this year – an 80 per cent increase.
The consumer group analyzed the inflation of foods and drinks in the eight supermarkets and also selected a basket of basic foods, including cheddar cheese, sliced white bread, pork sausages, white potatoes and oatmeal to see which of these everyday items had received the most attention. price increases.
The price of oatmeal has risen by an average of 35.5 percent in all eight supermarkets compared to the same time last year.
Lidl had an annual average inflation rate of 25 percent, while Aldi had 24 percent
Retail analytics firm Kantar released its latest UK supermarket market share figures on March 28
The worst example of oatmeal inflation, however, was in Ocado, where Quaker Oat So Simple Protein Porridge Pot Original 49g went from 94p to £1.56 – an increase of 65.5 per cent.
| Grocery type | Average annual inflation % |
|---|---|
| Oatmeal Porridge | 35.50% |
| Semi-skimmed milk | 33.60% |
| Cheddar cheese | 28.30% |
| Spreadable butter | 24.30% |
| Large sliced white bread | 22.80% |
| Broccoli | 15.40% |
| Chicken breasts | 14.30% |
| White potatoes | 13.90% |
| Pork sausages | 13.60% |
| Bananas | 5.70% |
| Apples | 4.50% |
| Which? analyzed the inflation of 11 popular foods and compared 2,512 products from eight supermarkets between Jan-Mar 2022 and Jan-Mar 2023. | |
Large loaves of 800g sliced white bread saw an average increase of 22.8 per cent, but The Bakery at Asda Soft White Medium Sliced Bread 800g rose 67 per cent from 56p to 94p.
Average inflation in white potatoes was about 14 percent, but a packet of baked potatoes at Morrisons rose from 40 pence to 66 pence — an increase of 63.5 percent.
Pork sausages at the supermarkets increased by an average of 26.8 percent.
However, Asda’s Just Essentials budget range of eight sausages rose in price by 73.5 per cent from 81p to £1.40, while Tesco’s value Woodside Farms pack of eight went from 80p to £1.39, up from 73. 3 percent.
The figures show that it is still the cheapest products that are hit hardest by inflation in percentage terms.
Which?’s tracker shows that supermarket own-brand budget items – which are still the cheapest overall – were up 24.8 percent in March compared to the same time last year, more than the 20-year increase. .5 percent seen on standard supermarket private labels and the 13.8 percent on branded and premium private label ranges.
The price of oatmeal porridge went up by an average of 35.5 percent in all eight supermarkets
Tesco’s value Woodside Farms pack of eight went from 80p to £1.39, up 73.3 per cent
It warned that even cheap foods, while remaining a cheaper option, risked becoming too expensive for those on the tightest of budgets.
Which? calls on major supermarkets to take action by making budget line items widely available, especially in areas where people need them most, and to make prices and offers more transparent so that people can easily determine which products are the most beneficial.
Sue Davies, which one? chief of food policy, said: ‘Our latest food and drink tracker in supermarkets paints a bleak picture for the millions of households already skipping meals of how inflation is affecting prices on supermarket shelves, with the poorest once again bearing the brunt of the cost of -living crisis.
“As the entire food chain impacts prices, supermarkets have the power to do more to support those in need, including ensuring everyone has easy access to simple, affordable food selections in a store near them. , especially in areas where people need it most .
‘Supermarkets must also offer transparent prices, so that people can easily determine which products are the cheapest.’
An Aldi spokesperson said: “Through initiatives such as our Aldi Price Match campaign, Price Lock and My Nectar Prices, customers can find low prices on the products they buy most often, both in stores and online, including: butter, broccoli, cabbage and carrots.’
Sainsbury’s took over Tesco’s Clubcard last week by making major changes to its Nectar loyalty card, expanding it to include discounts on 300 products
Asda said: ‘We are working hard to keep prices under control for customers despite global inflationary pressures and we remain the cheapest major supermarket.’
Sainsbury’s said: ‘In the last two years we have invested more than £550m in driving down prices as part of our aim to put food back at the heart of Sainsbury’s.’
Waitrose added: ‘We work hard to keep our prices as low as possible while paying our farmers and suppliers fairly and maintaining high animal welfare standards.’
Tesco stated: ‘With household budgets under constant pressure, we remain absolutely focused on providing great value to our customers.’
And Ocado said, “Everything we do starts with our customers and we know how important value is to them right now.”
MailOnline has contacted Aldi, Lidl and Morrisons today for comment.
