Tesco has regained the title of the most expensive supermarket for a basket of eight everyday items, after rival Morrisons cut the price of its tea bags by around 5%.
Eight weeks ago, the Manchester Evening News named Tesco the most expensive for eight commonly bought items. It held that position for five weeks until Morrisons – which had been named cheapest just 12 months earlier – overtook it. After a brief break, the UK's biggest supermarket has returned to the top of the price comparison.
Price changes this week
Morrisons slashed the price of its tea bags by around 5%, making it the second cheapest for a basket of eight essentials that also includes bread, milk, beans, chicken, coffee, butter and mince. Tesco left all its prices unchanged from last week, allowing it to regain the most expensive spot.
Asda was the only other supermarket to change a price in the comparison, cutting its mince from £3.12 to £3.09. That brought the item in line with the cost at all other major supermarkets, excluding Tesco.
Lidl, which dropped the price of its Knightsbridge Red Label Tea from £2.75 for a box of 240 to £2.45 – equating to £1.63 for 160 – two weeks ago, remains the cheapest supermarket in the comparison, which has tracked prices since 2022.
Basket totals
With a bill of £13.11, Lidl is cheapest. Aldi follows at £13.13, Asda at £13.32, Sainsbury's at £13.37, Morrisons at £13.43, and Tesco at £13.50.
What the supermarkets say
Not all retailers agree with the findings. Aldi has long argued 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 and its tins of beans are heavier than some rivals'.
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."
Sainsbury's says the "review of a limited number of products does not reflect the fantastic value" customers will find in store and says it is "committed to offering customers great choice and value when they shop with us".
A spokesperson for Asda said: "Asda is delivering unbeatable value on the products families buy most, from everyday essentials to the big brands they know and love." With thousands of products already cheaper than Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury's, including their loyalty card prices, independent surveys consistently recognise Asda as the best-value full-range supermarket, with low prices available to all.
Morrisons previously also said 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".
