UK: Aldi no longer UK's cheapest supermarket as new 'winner' crowned
- DRC Discount Retail Consulting GmbH
- Aug 6
- 2 min read
Discount Retail Chain Aldi UK has lost its crown as the most affordable supermarket, according to UK consumer watchdog 'Which?' after holding the title for nearly two years. The latest price analysis by Which? saw Aldi overtaken by rival discounter Lidl UK.
The comparison involved a basket of 76 popular items. This research examines the cost of the basket across the UK's largest supermarkets and in July, Lidl emerged as the least expensive, with groceries costing an average of £128.40 throughout the month, reports
Customers who are part of Lidl's loyalty scheme, Lidl Plus, could save an additional 40p. In contrast, Aldi shoppers paid £129.25 for their groceries, making it 85p pricier than Lidl.
The 76 items selected by Which? comprised a blend of branded and own-brand private label products, including Birds Eye peas, Hovis bread, milk and butter. Special offer prices and loyalty prices are factored into the analysis where relevant, however multibuys are not included.
According to the DRC, this position switch is remarkable, as Aldi UK has a mission to offer the lowest grocery prices in the UK market. The small price difference may result from new contract negotiations with suppliers, in which Lidl has gained a temporary advantage over Aldi, which has not yet been reflected in retail prices.
Asda secured third place, with a basket costing an average of £139.53, while Waitrose remained the most costly supermarket with the 76 items amounting to £170.91. Which? also compared a larger trolley shop consisting of 192 items. Lidl and Aldi were excluded from this analysis due to their smaller product range. Asda was deemed the cheapest for the larger shop with an average price of £474.12, even outperforming Tesco Clubcard prices, which amounted to £481.59.
Once again, Waitrose was the most expensive for the trolley shop, costing an average of £538.33. Reena Sewraz, Which? retail editor, stated: "Lidl has bagged the top spot as the UK's cheapest supermarket for the first time in 20 months, according to our latest price analysis, showing that it can beat Aldi even without loyalty prices.
"The bigger trolley of groceries shows that Asda continues to be the cheapest non-discount supermarket, beating membership prices at Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons.
"Households are still contending with high food prices but our analysis shows it pays to shop around, simply choosing one supermarket over another could save you 25%."
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