July 5th 2024.
Attention all UK shoppers! The results are in for the cheapest supermarket in June 2024. With options like Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, and Lidl, there's no shortage of places to do your big food shop in the UK. And let's not forget the alluring loyalty schemes, promising discounts, deals, and other tempting incentives to make us choose their store over others.
But is it really worth it? Does being a loyal customer actually save you money? Well, according to new research, the answer is a resounding no. The latest study has revealed that the cheapest supermarket in the UK at the moment is none other than Aldi. That's right, the budget-friendly retailer has beaten out big loyalty schemes like Tesco Clubcard and Sainsbury's Nectar to claim the top spot.
Which.co.uk, the consumer champions, conducted a thorough analysis and found that Aldi's prices were consistently lower than those offered by loyalty schemes. In fact, when compared to the other supermarkets, Aldi had the lowest average prices for a shop of 65 items, including both branded and own-brand products. On average, a full trolley of groceries cost £118.41 at Aldi, which was £12 cheaper than using Tesco Clubcard prices and £14 cheaper than Sainsbury's Nectar prices.
Lidl, another German budget retailer, came in at a close second with an average cost of £121.31 for the same shopping list. On the other end of the spectrum, Waitrose was found to be the most expensive option, costing a whopping 28% more than Aldi, with a total of £151.01 for the 65 items.
Interestingly, this is the first time that Which? has included loyalty prices in their monthly supermarket research, shedding light on the actual costs for both members and non-members. For example, the study revealed that a shop at Tesco cost £130.90 for Clubcard holders, while the same shop without a membership was priced at £134.30. Similarly, those with a Sainsbury's Nectar card would have paid £132.90 for the 65 items, while non-members would have paid £137.51.
As for the other supermarkets analyzed, Asda's total for the shopping list was £131.42, Morrisons came in at £140.19, and Ocado at £144.06. While Lidl, Morrisons, and Waitrose also offer loyalty pricing, it is currently on a smaller scale and none of the items on the shopping list were available at a lower price through these schemes during the research period.
Which? Retail Editor, Ele Clark, stated, "From this month on, we will be regularly including loyalty prices in our analysis. As member-only pricing continues to grow, Which? believes the sector needs to be properly scrutinized and held to account so that all shoppers - including society's most vulnerable - can benefit, and no one is misled into believing they're getting a better deal than they really are."
She added, "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."
So, to sum it up, here are the average costs of a weekly shop at eight major UK supermarkets in June:
- Aldi: £118.41
- Lidl: £121.31
- Tesco: £130.90 (with Clubcard), £134.30 (without Clubcard)
- Asda: £131.42
- Sainsbury's: £132.90 (with Nectar), £137.51 (without Nectar)
- Morrisons: £140.19
- Ocado: £144.06
- Waitrose: £151.01
This latest research comes after Which? recently revealed the cheapest supermarket for buying branded wine. Surprisingly, it was Tesco that offered the lowest prices. However, there's a catch - these prices are only available to Clubcard holders. Non-members will end up spending an average of 11% more on the same bottles of wine, with some prices even rising by 16%.
Do you have a story to share about your own experiences with loyalty pricing and supermarket shopping? We'd love to hear from you! Get in touch by emailing us at email. Let's continue to shed light on this important issue and hold supermarkets accountable for their pricing strategies. After all, every penny counts when it comes to stretching our household budgets.
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