Aldi Named Cheapest Supermarket With Shoppers Saving £17 Per Basket

According to consumer champion Which?, Aldi has been named the UK’s cheapest supermarket in April. The cost of living crisis is an ongoing concern for many households in the UK, with the rising cost of essential goods and services putting a significant strain on household grocery budgets. In particular, the cost of groceries has become a major concern for many consumers, as they struggle to keep up with the increasing prices. 

According to this recent analysis, shoppers could save up to £17 on a basket of everyday groceries by shopping at discounters like Aldi and Lidl, compared to the most expensive supermarket. However, the report also highlights the need for supermarkets to do more to support their customers during this challenging time, by ensuring affordable basic ranges are available in all branches and improving unit pricing on all products.

Which? conducts a monthly analysis that compares the prices of 39 popular groceries at eight of the UK’s largest supermarkets. This month, Aldi was found to be the cheapest, with a basket of goods costing £69.99 on average across the month. Lidl was close behind, with a difference of just 65p (£70.64). This widened the gap from last month, where there was just a 25p difference between the two discounters. Meanwhile, the same shop at Waitrose cost an average of £87.33, a difference of £17.34, or 24.7%, more than at Aldi.

In addition to comparing the cost of a basket of items, Which? also compared the cost of a larger trolley of 135 items. This comparison included a larger number of branded items, such as Andrex toilet paper and Cathedral City cheese, and did not include discounters Aldi and Lidl because they do not sell the full range of branded items included in the larger price analysis. 

Asda was found to be the cheapest for this larger trolley of groceries, a title it has held since January 2020. In April, it cost £343.46 for this shop, which was £10.50 cheaper than the next cheapest, Sainsbury’s (£353.96). Meanwhile, Waitrose was £38.76 more expensive than Asda, coming in at £382.22, on average, for the trolley of comparable goods – an 11.2% difference.

The results of Which?’s latest pricing analysis demonstrate that shoppers can make significant savings on their groceries depending on where they buy their food. However, even budget ranges and prices at the discounters are rising significantly, and traditional supermarkets’ convenience stores are failing to offer or stock budget lines. As a result, the consumer champion believes that supermarkets must do more to help their customers.

While some good practice exists, many of the major supermarkets have not done enough to support their customers during the cost of living crisis, according to Which?. Retailers should be helping customers by ensuring that affordable basic ranges are available in all branches, including convenience stores. Additionally, improving unit pricing on all products can help customers easily work out the best value for them. 

Ele Clark, Which? Retail Editor, said: “The price of food and drink has continued to soar as people suffer through the worst cost of living crisis in decades. It’s no surprise to see many people turning to discounters like Aldi and Lidl when our research shows they could save up to £17 on a basket of everyday groceries by doing so.”