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UK's cheapest supermarket named Aldi and Lidl are not included

The cheapest supermarket is more than 100 cheaper than the most expensive if you exclude loyalty discounts.

[A woman shops at a UK supermarket in the fruit and veg aisle]

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The UK's cheapest supermarket has been named and it's the same one for the sixth month in a row(Image: Getty)

The UK's cheapest supermarket for branded groceries has been named, taking the title for the sixth consecutive month. The latest research from consumer champion Which? reveals shoppers can pay more than double for identical products depending on where they shop and whether they use a loyalty card.

Which? found price differences of up to 159% between the same everyday household items in major supermarkets in July. In an analysis of 224 popular branded groceries including Heinz beans, Nescaf coffee and Mr Kipling cakes Which? found Asda was once again the cheapest supermarket overall, with the list costing 769.80 on average throughout July.

Aldi and Lidl are not included in this branded grocery analysis "because they do not stock a sufficiently wide range of branded products" but Which? said it "regularly finds Aldi and Lidl are the cheapest supermarkets overall in its monthly supermarket price comparisons".

Tesco using a Clubcard (781.07), Morrisons with More (799.24) and Sainsbury's with a Nectar card (801.48) were the next-cheapest on average after Asda.

However, shoppers without loyalty cards faced significantly higher costs, Which? said, with Tesco (873.66) and Sainsbury's (881.88) both proving more expensive than Waitrose (851.82) and Ocado (821.29) on average, highlighting the stark impact loyalty pricing can have on the cost of branded groceries. Shopping at Sainsbury's without a Nectar card was the most expensive option overall, costing nearly 15% more than Asda.

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Which? analysed the price of 224 groceries from the most popular brands and Asda came out the cheapest

Tesco and Sainsbury's both pointed out that 80% and 85% of sales respectively at their stores involved a loyalty card.

Listerine, Oral-B, Mr Kipling and Starbucks

When Which? looked at individual products, on average, Listerine Total Care Clean Mint Antibacterial Mouthwash (500ml) saw the biggest difference between the highest and lowest price. It was at its lowest price, on average, at Asda (2.31) and was most expensive at Sainsbury's and Tesco without a loyalty card (6) a 159% difference.

Which? said several branded products including Oral-B Pro Expert Toothpaste, Starbucks Frappuccino Mocha Chocolate Flavoured Milk Iced Coffee and Mr Kipling Fruit Pie Selection priced at around twice as much at the most expensive supermarket compared with the cheapest when priced without loyalty cards.

There were 155 products from Sainsburys on loyalty promotion through the month of the consumer champions analysis, 143 at Tesco and seven at Morrisons. None of the items in Which?'s analysis were subject to loyalty discounts at Waitrose. Asda and Ocado do not operate member-only pricing in the same way.

Which? said that while loyalty cards can unlock substantial savings, some shoppers remain unwilling or unable to participate due to concerns around data privacy or eligibility requirements.

Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services said: "With many households still facing intense financial strain and bracing for predicted price hikes in the coming months, every penny counts and Asda is the most consistent for affordable branded goods.

"Our research has previously found that some branded items are so frequently on offer that shoppers should never actually pay full price for them. To avoid being caught out, consumers should try to look out for big price fluctuations, compare value across different products, and check rival retailers to ensure they are getting a genuine deal."

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The products with the biggest price differences loyalty card discounts may not be applied

Loyalty card price considerations

Some of the products in the table above have lower prices when loyalty cards are applied. These are listed below:

Sainsbury's with Nectar (*)

• Listerine Total Care Clean Mint Antibacterial Mouthwash 500ml: 4.97
• Mr Kipling Fruit Pie Selection 6-pack: 2.06
• Tilda Boil In Bag Basmati Rice 4 x 62.5g: 1.37
• Colgate Plax Cool Mint Mouthwash 500ml: 3.77
• L'Oreal Paris Elvive Bond Repair Shampoo 200ml: 9.65
• Mr Kipling Mini Battenburgs 5-pack: 2.35
• Nescaf Azera Americano Instant Coffee 90g: 6.09
• Ryvita Thins Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar 125g: 1.96
• Doritos Cool Original Tortilla Chips 180g: 1.50
• Carex Original Antibacterial Hand Wash 250ml: 1.34
• Quorn picnic eggs 140g: 1.72

Tesco with Clubcard (**)

• Listerine Total Care Clean Mint Antibacterial Mouthwash 500ml: 3.95
• Mr Kipling Fruit Pie Selection 6-pack: 1.50
• Colgate Plax Cool Mint Mouthwash 500ml: 3.85
• L'Oreal Paris Elvive Bond Repair Shampoo 200ml: 7.97
• Nescaf Azera Americano Instant Coffee 90g: 4.23
• Ryvita Thins Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar 125g: 1.85
• Doritos Cool Original Tortilla Chips 180g: 1.85
• Mr Kipling Angel Cake Slices 8ea: 2.12
• Carex Original Antibacterial Hand Wash 250ml: 1.15

How Which? worked out the cheapest supermarket

Which? analysed the price of 224 groceries from the most popular brands including Chicago Town, Dove, Kelloggs, Mr Kipling, Nescaf and Tilda every day over the course of a month to work out the average cost per item. These are added up to get each supermarket's average total price.

The list represents the most popular brands across a wide range of grocery categories based on industry data and is designed to produce a robust sample rather than to be representative of a typical shop.

Which? includes loyalty discounts separately in the table where they are available. The value of points, personalised discounts or other rewards are not included as these vary.

While Aldi and Lidl are regularly found to be the cheapest supermarkets overall in Which?'s monthly supermarket price analysis, they were not included in this branded grocery comparison because they do not stock a sufficiently wide range of branded products.

What the supermarkets said

Each supermarket included in the Which? price analysis was given the right to reply to specific examples. A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: "We have not been able to verify the calculations used by Which? as the group has not shared its full analysis. However, our customers know they can get great value by using a Nectar card when they shop with us, which is why 85% of our sales involve one. We remain focused on offering outstanding value on the products people buy most often, with more than 10,000 Nectar Price offers available every week on top of personalised Your Nectar Prices."

A spokesperson for Tesco said: Clubcard prices unlock the best value at Tesco with thousands of deals in store and online each week. With more than 80% of sales at Tesco involving a Clubcard, most Tesco shoppers are already taking advantage of the great savings that Clubcard provides.

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