In an analysis of eight of the UK’s biggest supermarket outlets, Which? revealed that Aldi was still the cheapest supermarket, with the cost for a smaller basket of goods averaging £71.22 across the month.

It’s main discount rival Lidl was just behind in second place, with the same basket of goods costing £1.38 more at £72.60.

Waitrose was the most expensive supermarket, where a basket of groceries totalled £87.24 on average, a difference of £16.02 and 22% higher than Aldi.

Morrisons beats out rivals

Asda has been toppled as the supermarket which is the most economical on a larger trolley of 135 items, for the first time since January 2020.

These items include branded products such as Andrex toilet paper and Cathedral City cheese. As Aldi and Lidl do not always stock these items, they were not included in this part of the Which? study.

This time around Morrisons came out on top as being the most inexpensive larger trolley supermarket with a cost of £341.92. However, this was only a very slender lead over Asda, where the larger trolley item price was £342.14, a difference of just 22p. Waitrose was again the most expensive, with the 135-item shopping list climbing to £376.66.

Shoppers can make savings

Which? said that its analysis showed that shoppers can make significant savings on their weekly grocery shop, depending on where they buy their products. Yet budget ranges at discount stores such as Aldi and Lidl have still been rising in a climate of high food inflation.

Also, most of the traditional supermarkets’ convenience stores have been failing to offer or stock budget lines. Although it said that Morrisons have been leading by example by committing to stocking 40 of its budget items in its smaller convenience stores. This will happen in the coming weeks.

Overall, Which? has concluded that supermarkets need to offer more support to customers. For example, supermarkets need to ensure that unit pricing is clear, so customers can work out the best deals which are available.

Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: “Households up and down the country are having their budgets squeezed by the cost-of-living crisis and our latest research shows that once again Aldi is the cheapest supermarket. For a larger trolley of items, Asda has been knocked off its perch as the cheapest option for the first time in several years with Morrison pipping it to the post for value.”

“Which? believes that supermarkets are currently failing to adequately help shoppers during the current crisis. They must ensure everyone has easy access to basic, affordable food ranges at a store near them, including providing a range of essential budget lines that support a healthy diet in smaller convenience stores where they have them. They must also provide transparent and comparable pricing so people can easily work out which products offer the best value.”