Asda has been identified as the cheapest supermarket for a basket of the UK’s favourite branded items, offering shoppers potential savings of nearly £100. The retailer, which operates branches in Birmingham among other locations, has maintained this position for seven consecutive months.
This conclusion comes from a recent analysis conducted by consumer group Which?, which examined the prices of 220 popular branded groceries. The study found that a basket of these branded products cost £771.21 at Asda. Following Asda, Tesco - when using a Clubcard discount - averaged £782.39, while Sainsbury’s with a Nectar card came in at £787.57. Morrisons, applying its More card, averaged £797.32 for the same basket.
Interestingly, without the use of loyalty cards, both Tesco (£860.29) and Sainsbury’s (£869.16) were found to be more expensive on average than Waitrose (£839.71) and Ocado (£815.28).
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Which? highlighted the significant impact loyalty card pricing has on the cost of branded groceries. Reena Sewraz, retail editor at Which?, commented: “With many households still facing intense financial strain, Asda has proved to be the most consistent for affordable branded goods. This month’s analysis also found that customers can pay more than double for identical products depending on where they shop and whether they use a loyalty card. To avoid paying more than you need to, shoppers should try to look out for promotions on branded items, compare value across different products, and check rival retailers to ensure they are getting a genuine deal.”
In response, a Sainsbury’s spokesperson stated: “With 85 per cent of sales involving a Nectar card, we’re confident our customers know they can get great value when they shop with us. We’re focused on offering outstanding value on the products people buy most often, with more than 10,000 Nectar Price offers available every week on top of personalised Your Nectar Prices.”
Which? also announced a change in their reporting, explaining that they no longer publish research on a longer list of groceries including own-brand items. Instead, they now release monthly analyses specifically focusing on the cheapest supermarkets for branded groceries. This new approach is intended to provide more detailed price comparisons for shoppers. It is also noted that this research excludes discount retailers Aldi and Lidl, as they do not stock the same range of branded goods as other supermarkets.