Aldi crowned the UK’s cheapest supermarket for 12th consecutive month

Aldi has been named as the UK’s cheapest supermarket for the 12th consecutive month by consumer watchdog Which?

Which? conducted a comprehensive monthly price analysis of a basket of popular groceries at eight of the UK’s biggest supermarkets.

In May, the cost of a basket of goods at Aldi averaged £68.60, followed closely by Lidl at £70.51.

This comparison is more significant considering last month’s difference was just 65p.

In contrast, Waitrose emerged as the priciest supermarket, with a similar basket totalling £86.91, marking a stark 23.5 per cent increase compared to Aldi.

A separate evaluation was conducted by Which? on a larger trolley of 131 items, including many branded goods.

This analysis did not include discounters Aldi and Lidl due to their lack of stock for certain products.

Once again, Asda held the title for the cheapest of this larger trolley, a record it has maintained since January 2020. In May, the average cost was £332.40, just £2.07 cheaper than Morrisons, and a considerable £31.59 cheaper than Waitrose.

The latest pricing investigation from Which? demonstrates considerable savings can be made on groceries, depending on where shoppers purchase their food.

However, given the rising prices even at discount supermarkets and the failure of traditional supermarkets’ convenience stores to stock budget lines, Which? argues that supermarkets must do more for their customers.

The consumer champion found that despite some good practice, many major supermarkets have not done enough to support their customers during the cost of living crisis.

Which? urges retailers to ensure affordable basic ranges are accessible in all branches, including convenience stores, and to improve unit pricing on all products for easier price comparison.

Ele Clark, Which? Retail Editor, said: “The Which? Food Inflation Tracker shows that the price of food and drink is continuing to soar, as people suffer through the worst cost of living crisis in decades.”

“It’s no surprise to see many shoppers turning to discounters like Aldi and Lidl when our research shows they could make savings of more than £18 on a basket of everyday groceries.”

She continued, “Supermarkets aren’t currently doing enough to help shoppers. Which? believes the big retailers have a responsibility to ensure everyone has easy access to basic, affordable food ranges at a store near them, and to provide transparent and comparable pricing so people can easily work out which products offer the best value.”