Supermarket shoppers who remain loyal to Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, or Morrisons over Aldi and Lidl have been warned that their loyalty is costing them money. Consumer magazine Which? has conducted a supermarket price comparison analysis for June 2024, taking into account the impact of loyalty cards like Tesco Clubcards and Sainsbury’s Nectar Card on the price of a typical food shop.
Despite the Tesco Clubcard reducing the total cost of a basket at Tesco, and the Nectar card doing the same at Sainsbury’s, Aldi and Lidl still came out cheaper. This suggests that shoppers prioritizing loyalty cards might be paying more than those who simply switch to Aldi or Lidl.
Aldi beat Tesco, even with Clubcard prices, by more than £12, and Sainsbury’s by more than £14. Unsurprisingly, Waitrose was the most expensive supermarket by a significant margin, costing a full £32.60 more than Aldi, which emerged as the cheapest.
Aldi was crowned the cheapest supermarket in June, offering the most affordable price for a shopping list of popular items. The consumer champion’s monthly analysis compares the average prices of a basket of popular groceries at eight of the UK’s largest supermarkets. June’s list included 65 items, a mix of branded and own-brand products, like Birds Eye Garden Peas, Heinz baked beans, Hovis bread, milk, and butter.
Aldi’s average cost for this shopping list in June was £118.41. Fellow discounter Lidl closely trailed behind at £121.31 on average.
Waitrose was the most expensive supermarket last month, with a total cost of £151.01, a whopping 28% more than Aldi. Shoppers using a Tesco Clubcard paid £130.90 for June’s shopping list, £12.49 more than Aldi. Without a Clubcard, the same items at Tesco cost £134.30. Sainsbury’s Nectar scheme members paid £132.90, while non-members paid £137.51. Meanwhile, the total cost at Asda was £131.42.
While Lidl, Morrisons, and Waitrose also operate two-tier pricing systems, their schemes are smaller in scale, and this month, none of the items on the list were available at a lower price for members.
Ele Clark, Which? Retail Editor, commented on the findings: “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.”
