Aldi named UK’s cheapest supermarket in March - £20 cheaper than Waitrose only 25p less than Lidl

Which? said supermarket’s “aren’t doing enough” to help customers as the cheapest store is only 25p less expensive than its rival in second place
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Aldi has been named the UK’s cheapest supermarket in March, coming out £20 cheaper than Waitrose but only 25p less expensive than rival Lidl.

A basket of 41 grocery items at Aldi cost £72.54 on average across the month, whereas it cost £92.55 at Waitrose and £72.79 at Lidl, Which? found.

Of the ‘big four’ supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons), Sainsbury’s was the cheapest at £80.27.

Which? also compared the cost of a larger trolley of 137 items including the original 41 plus another 96 branded products, such as Andrex toilet paper and Cathedral City cheese. This comparison didn’t include Aldi or Lidl because these branded items cannot always be found in discounter supermarkets.

Which? found Asda was the cheapest with this trolley of groceries costing £343.91, continuing its long-running streak as the cheapest ‘traditional’ supermarket - which started in January 2020.

Asda beat next-cheapest Sainsbury’s (£353.16) by £9.25 whereas Waitrose was £41.83 more expensive than Asda, coming in at £385.74 for the same trolley of goods.

Aldi has been named the UK’s cheapest supermarket in March, coming out £20 cheaper than Waitrose. (Image by NationalWorld/Kim Mogg/Which.co.uk) Aldi has been named the UK’s cheapest supermarket in March, coming out £20 cheaper than Waitrose. (Image by NationalWorld/Kim Mogg/Which.co.uk)
Aldi has been named the UK’s cheapest supermarket in March, coming out £20 cheaper than Waitrose. (Image by NationalWorld/Kim Mogg/Which.co.uk)

‘Supermarkets aren’t doing enough to help customers’

Which? said the findings demonstrated that shoppers can make considerable savings on their groceries depending on where they buy their food, but supermarkets must do more to help their customers during the cost of living crisis.

The watchdog said retailers should be helping customers by making sure affordable basic ranges were available in all branches, including smaller convenience stores, as well as improving unit pricing on all products to allow customers to easily work out the best value.

Which? Retail editor Ele Clark said: “We know people are suffering through the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades and the price of food and drink has skyrocketed no matter where you shop. However, our monthly supermarket analysis shows you could save £20 on a basket of everyday groceries at the cheapest supermarket compared to the priciest one.

“Supermarkets aren’t currently doing enough to help customers. Which? believes the big retailers have a responsibility to ensure everyone has easy access to basic, affordable food ranges at a store near them, and to provide transparent pricing so people can easily work out which products offer the best value.”

Last month, the Office for National Statistics reported that UK inflation shot up unexpectedly to 10.4% in February as vegetable shortages pushed food prices to their highest rate in more than 45 years.

Which? is calling on supermarkets to provide the support people around the country need to keep food on the table during the ongoing living costs crisis.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.