Asda has been named the UK's cheapest supermarket for branded goods for the seventh consecutive month, according to consumer watchdog Which?. The retailer beat competitors even when their loyalty card prices were taken into account.
Price Comparison Findings
Which? analysed 220 popular branded groceries, including Heinz beans, Nescafé coffee and Mr Kipling cakes. The average basket at Asda cost £771.21 throughout August. Tesco with a Clubcard (£782.39), Sainsbury's with a Nectar card (£787.57) and Morrisons with More (£797.32) were the next most affordable options.
Shoppers without loyalty cards faced considerably higher costs. Tesco (£860.29) and Sainsbury's (£869.16) both proved more expensive than Waitrose (£839.71) and Ocado (£815.28) on average. Shopping at Sainsbury's without a Nectar card was the most costly option overall, coming in at nearly 13 per cent more expensive than Asda.
Loyalty Pricing Impact
Which? also uncovered price discrepancies of up to 114 per cent across everyday household items. Listerine Total Care Clean Mint Antibacterial Mouthwash (500ml) recorded the largest average price gap, with the lowest price at Sainsbury's with a Nectar card (£2.80) and the highest at both Sainsbury's and Tesco without a loyalty card (£6).
Other products priced at roughly double at the most expensive supermarket compared with the cheapest included Colgate Plax Cool Mint Mouthwash (500ml), Tilda Boil In Bag Basmati Rice (4 x 62.5g), Fox's Chocolatey Milk Chocolate Biscuits Rounds (130g) and Vimto No Added Sugar Squash (1000ml).
During the period analysed, 149 products at Sainsbury's were on loyalty promotion, alongside 143 at Tesco and six at Morrisons. None of the products examined were subject to loyalty discounts at Waitrose, while Asda and Ocado do not operate member-only pricing in the same manner.
Supermarket Responses
Reena Sewraz, Which? retail editor, said: "With many households still facing intense financial strain, Asda has proved to be the most consistent for affordable branded goods. This month's analysis also found that customers can pay more than double for identical products depending on where they shop and whether they use a loyalty card. To avoid paying more than you need to, shoppers should try to look out for promotions on branded items, compare value across different products, and check rival retailers to ensure they are getting a genuine deal."
An Asda spokesperson said: "We're proud that Which? has named Asda the lowest-priced supermarket for branded products for a seventh consecutive month. Others may talk about 'unbeatable prices', but independent research continues to show that Asda customers get the best prices on their favourite brands."
A Morrisons spokesperson said: "Morrisons remains committed to providing good, honest value and that's why we are guaranteeing 'Unbeatable Prices' on hundreds of weekly essentials."
A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: "We have not been able to verify the calculations used by Which? as the group has not shared its full analysis with us. With 85 per cent of sales involving a Nectar card, we're confident our customers know they can get great value when they shop with us."
Tesco, Waitrose and Ocado did not provide comment.
