Consumers are finding it harder than ever to save money on food, as not only is the cost of goods in supermarkets’ value ranges going up fast – but prices in discount grocers such as Lidl and Aldi are, too.
Prices on value ranges in UK supermarkets have risen by more than a fifth in the past year, according to consumer group Which?.
The group found that value items as a whole have gone up in price by 21.6 per cent in 12 months, compared to 13.2 per cent for branded goods.
The cost of premium ranges rose by 13.4 per cent over the same period, while standard own-brand foods increased in value by 18.9 per cent.
On the up: UK consumers have been unable to escape price hikes on food and groceries
One of the biggest price hikes on value items was on a 1kg bag of Sainsbury’s muesli, which rose 87.5 per cent from £1.20 to £2.25.
Meanwhile tins of sliced carrots went up from 20p to 33p, or 63 per cent, at Tesco, while a pack of pork sausages went from 80p to £1.27 in Asda.
Shoppers looking to save money on food often turn to discount supermarkets Aldi and Lidl.
But while they remain the cheapest two supermarkets, the duo have had to raise their prices much faster than rivals such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.
Overall year-on-year price inflation hit 21.1 per cent at Lidl and 20.8 per cent at Aldi in December 2022, Which? found.
Asda saw the third-highest price rises over the period at 15.4 per cent, followed by Waitrose (14.5 per cent), Sainsbury’s (13.75 per cent), Tesco (13.1 per cent), Morrisons (12.9 per cent) and Ocado (10.5 per cent).
The price is hike: Lidl and Aldi saw the biggest rise in prices for basic groceries such as milk, butter and cheese last year, a surprising study has found
What the supermarkets say
An Asda spokesperson told Which?: ‘We’re working hard to keep prices in check for customers despite global inflationary pressures and we remain the lowest-priced major supermarket – a position recognised by Which? in their regular monthly basket comparison which has named Asda as the cheapest supermarket for a big shop every month for the last three years.’
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: ‘With costs going up, we are working hard to keep prices low. Last year we announced that we would invest over £550million by March 2023 into lowering prices as part of our goal to put food back at the heart of Sainsbury’s.’
A Tesco spokesperson said: ‘With household budgets under increasing pressure we are absolutely committed to helping our customers, by keeping a laser focus on the cost of the weekly shop.’
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