With so many supermarkets to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to go for the best deals. In this article, we’ll look at the cheapest supermarket in the UK in 2023. We’ll also take a look at how the more expensive supermarkets stack up.
According to a study by Which? Aldi was the cheapest supermarket for the 12th month in a row in May 2023, with a basket of 40 items costing £68.60, on average. Lidl was £1.91 more expensive. The same shop at Waitrose was £86.91, on average, making it £18.31 pricier than Aldi.
Here is a list of the average basket price for some of the UK’s biggest supermarkets in May 2023 according to Which?:
- Aldi: £68.60
- Lidl: £70.51
- Asda: £76.45
- Sainsbury’s: £77.13
- Tesco: £77.56
- Morrisons: £79.09
- Ocado: £83.90
- Waitrose: £86.91
It’s important to note that these prices are just averages and can vary depending on location and time of year. Additionally, the items included in the basket were groceries such as bread and toothpaste.
Which? compared the prices of 48 popular products such as Heinz beans, tea bags and milk, to find out which supermarket sold them cheapest overall. Aldi was the cheapest supermarket for every month of 2023 so far, beating its rival discounter Lidl by a small margin.
Cheapest Supermarket in the UK for Larger Shops
A larger trolley of 135 grocery items was also analysed, comprising the original 48, plus 87 more. However, this comparison does not include Lidl or Aldi, as they do not sell many of the branded products that were included.
Among the traditional supermarkets, Asda was the cheapest for a larger shop, costing £343.46 on average for 135 items in April 2023. However, there were some exceptions based on certain products.
- Asda was also the cheapest for most categories of products, such as bakery, dairy, drinks, frozen food, household and toiletries.
- Morrisons were the cheapest for meat and fish, costing £36.63 for 15 items, compared to £38.62 at Asda.
- Sainsbury’s was the cheapest for fruit and vegetables, costing £19.80 for 20 items, compared to £20.13 at Asda.
The most expensive supermarket for a more extensive shop was Waitrose, costing £382.22 on average for 135 items in April 2023. Waitrose was also the most expensive for most categories of products. Except for health and beauty, where Ocado was slightly pricier.
And the Cheapest Supermarket in the UK is…
Of course, these comparisons are based on average prices and may not reflect the exact products that you buy or the offers that are available at any given time. You may also have other factors to consider when choosing a supermarket. Quality, convenience, customer service and ethical standards make a difference. However, if you are looking for the cheapest supermarket in the UK in 2023 based on price alone, Aldi seems to be the winner for a smaller shop, while Asda wins for larger shops.
Realistically, we can’t judge supermarkets on their product pricing alone anymore. With most supermarkets offering a rewards scheme of some description, we’ve taken a look at the pros and cons and made our decision on the best supermarket reward scheme in the UK in 2023.