From Tesco, to Sainsbury’s, Asda, and Lidl, there are plenty of supermarkets to choose from when heading out to do your big food shop in the UK.
Many retailers also offer loyalty schemes, with discounts, deals, and other incentives that might tempt you to buy your groceries there, as opposed to somewhere else.
But are loyalty prices really cheaper than regular ones? It seems the answer is no.
New research has revealed that the cheapest supermarket in the UK right now has prices that beat even those offered as part of popular loyalty schemes, such as Tesco Clubcard and Sainsbury’s Nectar.
It’s Aldi that came out on top, being crowned the cheapest supermarket in June by the consumer champions at Which.co.uk.
The discount retailer was found to offer the lowest average prices for a shop of 65 items, including branded products like Birds Eye Garden Peas, Heinz Baked Beans, as well as own-brand ones such as milk and butter.
The trolley full of shopping worked out on average as £118.41 at Aldi, which was £12 cheaper than using Tesco Clubcard prices, and £14 cheaper than Sainsbury’s Nectar prices.
German budget retailer Lidl was the second cheapest of the month, following close behind Aldi at £121.31 on average.
Of the eight supermarkets analysed, Waitrose was found to be the most expensive in June, costing 28% more than the Aldi shop (£32.60 more to be precise), with a total of £151.01.
This is the first time that Which? has included loyalty prices in its monthly supermarket research, showing the costs at shops with and without a membership to the various schemes.
For instance, it was revealed that June’s shop cost £130.90 at Tesco using a clubcard, but the same shop without a membership cost £134.30.
Similarly, those who have joined Sainsbury’s Nectar scheme would have paid £132.90 for the 65 items, while for those without a Nectar card it would have been priced at £137.51.
Asda’s total for the shopping list was £131.42, at Morrisons it was £140.19, and Ocado (which offers M&S products) cost £144.06.
Lidl, Morrisons, and Waitrose also operate two-tier pricing, but their schemes are currently on a smaller scale, and throughout the month of research none of the items on the list were available at a lower price as part of these schemes.
Ele Clark, Which? Retail Editor, said:‘From this month on we will be regularly including loyalty prices in our analysis. As member-only pricing continues to grow, Which? believes the sector needs to be properly scrutinised and held to account so that all shoppers — including society’s most vulnerable — can benefit, and no one is misled into believing they’re getting a better deal than they really are.
‘With food prices continuing to squeeze household budgets, it comes as no surprise that many people are choosing to shop with the discounters, and Aldi has again won the cheapest supermarket title. Our analysis shows that Aldi and Lidl are still cheaper than the traditional supermarkets, even when you include loyalty pricing.’
Average cost of a weekly shop at eight major UK supermarkets in June:
- Lidl,£121.31
- Asda, £131.42
- Tesco (without Clubcard), £134.30
- Morrisons, £140.19
- Waitrose, £151.01
This comes after the consumer champions recently revealed the cheapest supermarket for buying branded wine.
Tesco was found to offer the lowest prices, but there was a big catch.
The retailer wasn’t the cheapest for all shoppers, as only those who have a benefit from the cheapest prices.
If you don’t have a membership to the company’s point-based loyalty scheme, then Tesco is actually the most expensive supermarket when it comes to wine.
The research found that 13 out of 15 popular branded bottles of wine are cheaper with a Clubcard, costing £108.43 in total.
But without that card, you’ll be spending on average 11% more for the same bottles (£120.67), and in some cases this can rise up to 16% more, as prices fluctuate.
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