Aldi has been named the cheapest supermarket of the year for the fifth year running, narrowly beating rival Lidl, according to an annual survey by Which?. The consumer advice firm found that Aldi offered the lowest prices for six out of the twelve months, while Lidl was cheapest for five months, with a tie in January 2021.
The survey tracked hundreds of thousands of grocery prices across eight major supermarkets, revealing an average price rise of 3.4% for a basket of 19 items over the past year. Waitrose saw the highest increase at 9.2%, while Sainsbury's had the lowest at 0.59%. Some own-brand items saw significant price hikes, including Royal Gala apples (up 14%) and free-range eggs (up 12%).
In December 2021, Lidl was the cheapest option at £23.29 for a basket of 22 groceries, compared to £23.64 at Aldi. Waitrose was over £9 more expensive at £32.85. For a larger trolley of items not always available at discounters, Asda was the cheapest traditional supermarket at £135.07, while Waitrose remained the most expensive.
Which? retail editor Ele Clark advised shoppers to consider switching to own-brand products and sticking to a shopping list to save money amid rising costs. The findings highlight that while prices are increasing, some supermarkets are passing on costs more than others.
