Aldi is now the third cheapest supermarket for a basket of essentials after raising the price of a key item. The budget retailer added 10p to the cost of its cheapest pack of beef mince since last week, and Sainsbury's followed suit as part of its Aldi price match scheme.
The increase means Asda is now second cheapest for the basket of eight items, behind Lidl, which has consistently been the cheapest since the end of August. The comparison, tracking costs at six main supermarkets since March 2022, now places Aldi in third position with a total bill of £13.09.
Basket totals and price changes
Lidl comes in at £12.97, followed by Asda at £13.03. Aldi's total rose from £12.99 to £13.09, and Sainsbury's increased from £13.23 to £13.33. Morrisons remains in fourth place at £13.17, with Tesco the dearest for an eleventh consecutive week at £13.36.
The basket includes bread, beans, milk, coffee, tea bags, butter, chicken breasts and mince. The comparison takes into account the cheapest products available at each supermarket, including budget ranges like Asda's Just Essentials, Morrisons' Savers, Tesco's Stockwell products and Sainsbury's Stamford Street range.
Retailer responses
Not all retailers agree with the findings. Sainsbury's says the 'review of a limited number of products does not reflect the fantastic value' customers will find in store, adding it is 'committed to offering customers great choice and value when they shop with us'.
Morrisons says it 'remains committed to providing good, honest value' and is 'working hard to keep prices down and competitive so customers can spend less while still enjoying the quality Morrisons is famous for'.
Aldi has argued that the products are not like-for-like, saying its own Diplomat Red Label tea bags and its coffee are of 'higher quality' than the comparative products used, and its tins of beans are heavier than some other retailers'. An Aldi spokesperson told the M.E.N: "Our customers know they can always count on us for great value across the board, without needing to join a club or show a loyalty card. That’s why Which? has named us Cheapest Supermarket of the Year for five years running."
Asda says surveys consistently recognise it as the best-value full-range supermarket. A spokesperson said: "Families can count on Asda for great value, with low prices on the brands they know and trust, many of which aren’t available in limited-range discounters, as well as thousands of everyday essentials that are cheaper than Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s. Independent price comparisons continue to recognise Asda as the UK’s best-value full-range supermarket."
