Shoppers buying everyday staples such as milk, bread and cheese at Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury's could be paying more than necessary, according to the latest supermarket price comparison from consumer group Which?.
The watchdog's monthly analysis examined 87 everyday products across eight of the UK's biggest supermarkets, covering food, drink and household essentials at Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose.
Aldi remains cheapest, Waitrose priciest
Aldi was the cheapest supermarket in October 2026, with the average cost of an 87-item basket coming in at £154.34. Lidl followed closely, with its Lidl Plus loyalty prices bringing the average bill to £157.17, while those without a Lidl Plus account paid virtually the same at £157.21.
Waitrose emerged as the most expensive supermarket in the comparison, with the 87 items totalling an average of £215.87. Ocado ranked second most costly at £202.33.
Loyalty card savings vary by chain
Tesco came third overall, with its Clubcard prices undercutting Sainsbury's Nectar deals. The average shop at Tesco set Clubcard holders back £181.77, compared with £182.90 at Sainsbury's for those using Nectar prices.
Asda proved slightly pricier, with the typical basket setting shoppers back £183.47, while Morrisons customers faced an average bill of £186.77. Those who opted out of loyalty schemes were hit with steeper prices at Tesco and Sainsbury's.
Without Clubcard savings, the Tesco shop totalled £187.31, while the identical basket at Sainsbury's reached £191.56 without Nectar discounts.
Loyalty offers show limited reach
The data reveals the significant impact loyalty programmes can have when purchasing everyday essentials. In October, 18 items featured in the comparison had Clubcard reductions at Tesco, while 21 items had Nectar deals at Sainsbury's. Lidl featured just one item on a loyalty offer during the study.
This indicates shoppers could end up spending more for identical groceries if they do not make use of the available offers. Nevertheless, the data demonstrates that even with loyalty pricing factored in, Aldi and Lidl stayed substantially cheaper than the bigger supermarket chains.
