Aldi and Lidl Top the List as Cheapest Supermarkets - Loyalty Cards May Not Offer as Much Savings as Expected
Consumer watchdog Which? recently conducted a study comparing the costs of the most popular grocery items at the largest supermarkets across the UK. The findings suggested that customers might not be saving as much as they anticipate with their supermarket loyalty cards.
Aldi and Lidl Lead the Pack
The study revealed that Aldi emerged as the most budget-friendly supermarket with an average total cost of £118.41, closely followed by Lidl at £121.31. On the other end of the spectrum, Waitrose held the title for the most expensive, with a total cost of £151.01, and Ocado came in second at £144.06.
Limited Savings with Loyalty Cards
While loyalty cards like Tesco's Clubcard and Sainsbury's Nectar points are marketed as money-saving tools, the research indicated that the actual savings might be minimal. For instance, Tesco shoppers only saved around £4 on average with a Clubcard, bringing the total cost down from £134.30 to £130.90. Similarly, Sainsbury's customers saw a slightly higher saving, with the cost decreasing from £137.51 to £132.90 with a Nectar card.
Rising Grocery Costs
The study comes at a time when the cost of living crisis is putting pressure on consumers to tighten their grocery budgets. According to Kantar, grocery prices have risen by 2.1% in the past year, with certain items like chocolate, confectioneries, chilled fruit juices, and minerals experiencing the highest price hikes.
Full List of Average Prices
- Aldi: £118.41
- Lidl: £121.31
- Tesco with Clubcard: £130.90
- Asda: £131.42
- Sainsbury's with Nectar: £132.90
- Tesco without Clubcard: £134.30
- Sainsbury's without Nectar: £137.51
- Morrisons: £140.19
- Ocado: £144.06
- Waitrose: £151.01