New data from Which? reveals that budget supermarkets Aldi and Lidl have experienced the highest year-on-year food price increases, despite remaining the cheapest overall. The Which? food and drink tracker recorded a 23.6% rise at Lidl and 22.5% at Aldi in January, compared to 13.6% at Tesco and 16.8% at Asda.
Overall inflation on more than 25,000 products across eight major supermarkets stood at 15.9% year-on-year. Own-brand budget ranges saw the steepest increase at 21.6%, while branded goods rose by 13.2%. Specific items such as own-label water at Sainsbury's surged 105.9% from 17p to 35p, and Tesco's French brie jumped 96.6% from 80p to £1.57.
Which? is urging supermarkets to ensure budget lines are widely available, especially in areas of greatest need. Sue Davies, Which? head of food policy, said: “It’s clear that food costs have soared in recent months, but our inflation tracker shows how households relying on supermarket value ranges are being hit the hardest.”
Supermarkets have responded, with Asda highlighting its position as the cheapest for a big shop for three years, and Sainsbury's pointing to its £550m investment in price cuts. Aldi reiterated its commitment to the lowest grocery prices, having been named cheapest supermarket by Which? for January 2023.
