Aldi has reclaimed the title of the most affordable supermarket in the UK, according to recent research by consumer group Which?. A comparison of a list of 70 essential items showed that the average cost at Aldi was £121.22 last month, edging out Lidl, which had held the top spot in October with an average cost of £122.35 for the same items. Tesco, although pricier, offered savings to Clubcard members, with an average bill of £133.65 compared to the standard price of £136.20.
In contrast, Waitrose was found to be the most expensive option, averaging £166.79 for the same set of groceries. Opting to shop at either Aldi or Waitrose could result in savings of over £45 for families.
The comparison carried out by Which? involves analyzing the prices of a selection of groceries at eight different supermarket chains each month. The list of 70 items includes both own-brand products and popular branded items like Birds Eye peas and Hovis bread, along with essentials like milk and butter.
Asda emerged as the most cost-effective choice for a larger shopping list of 183 items that excludes Aldi and Lidl due to their limited range of branded products. The average cost at Asda last month was £455.52, making it the cheapest option for a bigger grocery haul. Asda’s prices were £9.71 lower than Tesco’s for the same items when utilizing the Clubcard discounts.
On the other end of the spectrum, Waitrose was the priciest for the larger shopping list, totaling £522.91, which was £67.39 more expensive than Asda. For the smaller list of items, Waitrose also topped the price list with an average cost of £166.79, representing a 38% difference compared to Aldi.
Reena Sewraz, the retail editor at Which?, emphasized that while Aldi stood out as the most budget-friendly supermarket in the latest analysis, Lidl also remains a strong money-saving option. As Christmas approaches, the analysis highlights the importance of comparing prices across supermarkets, as choosing one over another could result in savings of up to 27%.