ALDI swiped the top spot as the UK’s cheapest supermarket for shoppers picking up a typical basket of groceries in May.
Consumer group Which? found Aldi shoppers popping to the store for a few key items bagged the cheapest deal for the 12th month in a row.
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A basket of goods cost £68.60 on average across the month at the bargain supermarket.
Items included Kenco coffee, PG Tips tea bags and Walkers crisps along with own-label products, including onions and milk.
Lidl was very nearly as cheap as Aldi, with its typical grocery basket totting up to £70.51.
Even so, the £1.91 gap between the two was more than double the 65p difference paid by shoppers in April.
Waitrose shoppers shelled out £86.91 for the same and similar items, almost £20 more than at Aldi.
Weekly shoppers save even more
On top of the 40 it checked for the basket of goods, Which? checked another 91 typical supermarket purchases.
Asda took the crown yet again as the cheapest for this larger trolley of groceries, a title it has held since January 2020.
Asda’s weekly shop cost £332.40 on average in May.
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That was just £2.07 less than the next cheapest, Morrisons, where the same items cost £334.47.
But Waitrose was an eye-watering £31.59 more expensive than Asda, coming in at £363.99.
Which? excluded Aldi and Lidl from the trolley price check as the longer shopping list included branded items such as Andrex toilet paper and Cathedral City cheese, which aren’t stocked at the discount supermarkets.
Ele Clark, Which? retail editor, said: “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.”
The full results for the smaller basket were as follows:
- Aldi – £68.60
- Lidl – £70.51
- Asda – £76.45
- Sainsbury’s – £77.13
- Tesco – £77.56
- Morrisons – £79.09
- Ocado – £83.90
- Waitrose – £86.91
How can I save on my supermarket shop?
It’s not just about heading to the cheapest supermarket to save money on your shop.
There’s a number of ways you can cut costs and drive down your grocery bills.
Making a list before you head out to do your food shopping is always a good start as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases.
Buying supermarkets’ own-brand goods instead of higher end more notable brands could save you a few pounds too.
Some supermarkets run “wonky” veg schemes, where you pay less for fresh produce that’s misshapen or imperfect.
Lidl, for example, has its Waste Not scheme where you can get a whopping five kilos of fruit and veg for just £1.50.
Checking how much a product costs based on quantity could save you some money.
You might be tempted to opt for a bigger box or packaging because you think you will get more.
But you should always check the price per kg/lb/litre so you’re making a like-for-like decision.
A lot of supermarkets run loyalty schemes, where you can build up points to spend on a later shop.
For example, Sainsbury’s has its Nectar Card and Tesco has its Clubcard.
Plus, look out for yellow or red stickers on food products that show they’ve been reduced.
