One discount retailer has once again secured the top spot as the UK\u2019s most affordable supermarket, amid a backdrop of rising food inflation that continues to place mounting pressure on household budgets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the four weeks to April 20, prices on everyday grocery items continued to climb, driven in large part by a sharp rise in chocolate costs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The latest analysis from Which?<\/em> highlights how price-conscious consumers are responding to changing market conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Reporting from GB News<\/a><\/strong> supports these findings, noting a surge in demand for loyalty schemes and budget retailers. The widening impact of inflation signals continued challenges for households managing essential food purchases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consumer group Which?<\/em> found that Aldi offered the lowest average price basket at \u00a3133.73 for 79 branded and own-label items in April. The study, which included Tesco, Sainsbury\u2019s, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado<\/em> and Waitrose<\/em>, factored in loyalty pricing and special offers, excluding multi-buy deals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This marks the fourth consecutive year Aldi has been named the cheapest supermarket, securing the title every month since 2022. Lidl followed closely, with a comparable basket costing \u00a3134.40 with the Lidl Plus card or \u00a3134.43 without\u2014a price difference of only 3 pence, highlighting how tight the competition has become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The full rankings by Which?<\/em>, based on loyalty card usage, are as follows :<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without loyalty schemes, the price of a Tesco basket rises to \u00a3149.83. Waitrose, the most expensive option, charges \u00a342.68 more than Aldi\u2014a 32% price gap for the same shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For larger baskets containing 203 items\u2014many of them branded and typically unavailable at discounters\u2014Asda<\/a> emerged as the most affordable supermarket with an average total of \u00a3498. This highlights its strength in full-service retailing beyond own-label ranges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spending on promotional items has surged to 29.7% of all supermarket sales, the highest proportion so far this year, according to Kantar<\/em>. Additionally, \u00a3347 million more was spent through loyalty card promotions, showing their growing importance to consumers facing food inflation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At Tesco<\/em> and Sainsbury<\/a>\u2019s<\/em>, nearly 20%<\/strong> of items are now sold through price match offers, appearing in almost two-thirds of shopping baskets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar<\/em>, commented:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The grocers have been sharpening their pricing strategies to stay competitive in the fight for footfall.Aldi Maintains Price Lead in Supermarket Comparison<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Price Comparison Across All Major UK Supermarkets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Supermarket Loyalty Schemes Drive Consumer Behavior<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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They’ve invested in price cuts which were the main driver of promotional growth.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nExperts Reflect on Supermarket Competition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n