Top 10 Cheapest Supermarkets in the UK Right Now

Top 10 Cheapest Supermarkets in The UK Right Now

The latest research by trade magazine The Grocer reveals that discount retailer Aldi is the cheapest supermarket for everyday groceries. The weekly shopping price survey compared the cost of a shopping basket of 33 typical grocery items at the biggest supermarkets (Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose), and compared it to the same basket at Aldi. Aldi’s basket came in at a total of £51.35, which was £6.98 cheaper than runner-up Asda, and £26.91 cheaper than the most expensive basket from Waitrose.

How to find the cheapest supermarket

Monitoring surveys and research from publications such as The Grocer and Which? is one way to keep track of the latest supermarket trends. But there are also a number of apps and tools that can help you. Nick Drewe, personal finance expert at online discount platform WeThrift told us, “Latestdeals is an app which lets you compare prices across supermarket giants like Asda, Aldi, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Iceland, Waitrose, Ocado and Morrisons. With this app, you can compare product prices by size and brand. There is also Trolley, which like Latestdeals, enables you to see the cheapest grocery prices across the UK’s biggest stores. What’s more, you can also get daily offers and price alerts on this platform, as well as create shopping lists to save you as much as £1,000 a year.”

My Supermarket Compare also lets you compare prices of particular products across the supermarkets, while deal-sharing platforms, such as Hotukdeals.com, can be worth checking out for the latest offers.

“Deal-sharing platforms share thousands of offers every week and can help decide where it’s best for you to shop,” says Dan Plant, consumer savings expert at hotukdeals.com. “Users will post deals they see in-store and online, for example, BOGOF offers, reductions, and loyalty scheme discounts.”

Is the cheapest supermarket the best?

At a time when the cost of living is soaring, hunting out the cheapest supermarket and finding the biggest savings will be a top priority. However, the cost isn’t the only factor that should be considered when looking for the best supermarket for your circumstances. Customer service can be particularly important if you might need additional support buying groceries in-store or online. Keep in mind that while budget stores such as Lidl and Aldi are often the cheapest, their in-store shopping experience tends to be more minimalist.

Budget stores don’t always offer the widest range of products either, although this has improved over time. Some, such as Lidl, also do not offer home delivery for food, unlike most traditional supermarkets.

“Supermarket location is an important factor to consider too,” says Brean Horne. “Transport costs may offset any savings made on food shopping if you have to travel further to find a cheaper supermarket. Accessibility options are another key consideration when deciding the best supermarket for a particular shopper. Customers that rely on volunteer services to do their grocery shopping, for example, may prefer to use supermarkets that offer specialist gift cards to make paying simpler.”

Full list of the 33 items used to work out the cheapest supermarket:

• Pink lady apples (six-pack)
• Dried apricots own-label
• Aquafresh little teeth toothpaste (age 3-5)
• Baby potatoes own-label
• Sliced beetroot own-label
• Black Sheep ale 500ml bottle
• Carrots own-label organic
• Chocolate cake own-label premium
• Coca-Cola Original 1.25l bottle
• Domestos original thick bleach 750g
• Double Gloucester cheese own-label 250g
• Egg noodles own-label medium 250g
• Eggs own-label free-range large 12-pack
• Fillet steak own-label, premium, 170g
• Greek-style yoghurt own-label with honey
• Ham and mushroom tagliatelle ready-meal own-label chilled 400g
• Hartley’s jelly orange 135g
• Instant coffee own-label, gold, 200g
• McVities Club biscuits orange
• Milk semi-skimmed own-label 1,136ml
• Mr Kipling Apple Pies bramley six-pack
• Nurofen tablets 16-pack 200mg
• Orange own-label smooth from concentrate one litre
• Parsnips own-label 500g
• Peanuts chilli own-label 200g
• Peas own-label frozen 1kg
• PG tips pyramid 240 bags 696g
• Pulled pork own-label, with smokey BBQ sauce
• Spinach own label 260g
• Sticky toffee sponge puddings own label 2x110g
• Tortilla chips cool 200g
• Vanish stain remover Oxi Advance Crystal White, 1.5kg
• White toastie loaf Own-label, thick sliced 800g

Top 10 Cheapest Supermarkets in the UK Right Now

1. Lidl

Photo: nj

The cheapest UK supermarket is Lidl, according to an analysis of the cost of an average shopping list in February 2022.

Now Lidl has been found to be the cheapest supermarket in the UK based on the total cost of a basket of common grocery items, according to The Mirror.

In a report by The Grocer, it was found that the 33 item shopping list cost £53.06 at Lidl this time, compared to £60.19 at Asda, £63.26 at Sainsbury's, £64.55 at Tesco, £72.73 at Morrisons and £85.40 at Waitrose. However, the Lidl basket of items cost 4.5% more than a year ago, or an extra £2.31, due to rising inflation. Kantar, which records prices, said inflation in February was 4.3%.

Prices are rising the fastest for items including savoury snacks, fresh beef, and cat food. However, the cost of bacon, beer, lager and spirits fell.

Lidl was the cheapest shop with the average shopping list coming in at £24.21.

2. Aldi

Photo: mysanantonio

Aldi, the no-frills German grocery chain, is known for its low, low prices. Think $0.89 for a loaf of white bread, or a dozen eggs for less than $1. The famous deals attract bargain shoppers who are willing to put up with some of the store’s quirks. They don’t mind the $0.25 deposit to get a cart, limited selection, having to bring their own bags, and shorter opening hours if it means saving money. By not staying open all day, not stocking every product under the sun, and even forcing customers to put carts back where they found them Aldi keeps operating costs low and passes the savings on to shoppers.

As a result, Aldi is one of the cheapest grocery stores in the U.K. The store claims you can save as much as 50% over national brands when you choose its store-brand products. But do those claims hold water? Head-to-head comparisons between Aldi and other major chains suggest they do. When savings expert Mike Timmermann compared a basket of common items at Aldi, Wal-Mart, and Kroger in 2016, he found Aldi beat Kroger by 18% and Wal-Mart by 25% — not quite 50%, but still significant. Another analysis found Aldi’s prices were 22% cheaper than Wal-Mart’s.

3. Asda

Photo: ft

Asda Stores Limited is a British supermarket retailer, headquartered in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The company became a subsidiary of the American retail corporate giant Walmart after a £6.7 billion takeover in July 1999, and was the second-largest supermarket chain in Britain between 2003 and 2014, by market share.

Asda took advantage of the abolition of retail price maintenance in order to offer large-scale, low cost supermarkets, aided by the takeover of the GEM retail, including the first out-of-town store in West Bridgford in November 1964. Asda increased GEM’s £6,000 per week sales to around £60,000 per week in just six months.

4. Tesco

Photo: BBC

Founded in 1919 in London’s East End, Tesco is now the country’s largest retailer and the fourth-largest in the world after U.S. group Wal-Mart, French Carrefour, and German Metro.

It has a 30 percent share of Britain’s supermarket sector, according to market researcher Kantar. In the year to end-February, it generated 62.5 billion pounds of sales and underlying profit of 3.4 billion.

Tesco extended its reach as the UK's biggest supermarket, increasing market share from 27.4% to 27.7% over the period.

5. Sainsbury's

Photo: retail-insight-network

6. Morrisons

Photo: news.sky

WM Morrisons Supermarkets Plc headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK has a chain of more than 500 supermarkets selling groceries and food. It was established in the year 1899 by William Morrison and is considered the fourth largest supermarket in the UK. It also sells goods online. About 11 million people are estimated to shop every week from their stores while their online business covers 11 million households. The company is listed on London Stock Exchange under the symbol MRW.

Currently, Morrisons is the fourth largest supermarket in the United Kingdom, following Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda as one of the 'big four' grocery retailers.

7. Ocado

Photo: news.sky

Ocado was founded in 2000 by a trio of former merchant bankers. Originally, it was positioned as an online grocery retailer. Since then, it’s pivoted into a solutions provider that develops software and automation systems for retailers such as Morrisons, Sobeys, and Coles.

In 2017, Ocado became the first UK supermarket to launch an app for Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. The app allows users to add products to an existing order via voice command. It also offers product suggestions based on previously bought items. According to a statement released by Ocado, the app provides users the “convenience and flexibility to shop however they prefer.” Lawrence Hene, Ocado’s marketing and commercial director, added: “Consumer demand for increasingly convenient ways to shop is growing rapidly and we’re excited to be the first supermarket in the UK to offer this technology, making customers’ lives ever easier. Alexa will add any item to your Ocado basket simply by asking her to do so. It’s as easy as that.”

8. Waitrose

Photo: newstatesman

Established in the early 20th century, Waitrose has now become one of the leading retailers of groceries and a household name in the UK. Under the wing of its parent company John Lewis Partnership - an employee-owned business - Waitrose stands apart from the competition with its unique business model. The supermarket brand has earned a global upmarket reputation due to the superior quality of its products that are offered at economical prices.

Waitrose supermarket is amongst the largest retailers in the UK, categorized as one of the leading upscale supermarkets in the UK (Wendy 2008). A majority of the branches for the Waitrose supermarket are largely situated within London, as well as England’s south-east side. In addition, the chain has also managed to open a total of three branches in England’s southwest side while Northern England is served by twelve branches (BBC News 2007; Garner 2008). Wales, on the other hand, has benefited from a total of four branches whereas Scotland has two. By 2007, Waitrose reportedly had a market share of 4 percent in the food sector. This has been a tremendous rise in the market share for the company over the years (English 2008).

9. Co-op

Photo:retailgazette

Co-ops aim to offer high-quality foods at fair prices—for shoppers and producers. Doing business this way helps keep money in communities by supporting local growers, mom-and-pop vendors, the best craft brewers, etc. And, of course, all this local commerce helps create jobs, too.

Co-ops also tend to carry foods and products for people following special diets (paleo bacon, anyone?) or managing food sensitivities.

If eating local and/or organic produce is important to you, a co-op is a great place to shop. You’ll also probably have several brands to choose from if animal welfare standards, like cage-free eggs, grass-fed beef and free-range chickens, affect your purchasing decisions. And you’ll find products from vendors who champion sustainable farming and fishing practices.

10. M&S

Photo:reuters

Marks & Spencer has been around since 1884, and over more than a century, the group has changed the way we think and feel about the retail world in the UK. Though M&S has faced a few hurdles in its time, it’s also shown us the power of a brand that stays true to its values, and consistent with its corporate image, while still continuously evolving.

As one of the UK’s first premium brands, M&S has survived recessions, PR nightmares, dry periods, and they still retain a formidable presence on the UK high street, trading in over 300 stores throughout Britain alone.

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