The latest analysis from Which? found the supermarket outperformed loyalty schemes at Tesco and Sainsbury’s
As food and energy bills continue to climb, shoppers are increasingly watchful of their weekly supermarket bill.
Countless Britons rely on loyalty schemes to cut costs on branded products, while budget chains such as Lidl and Aldi offer cheaper prices on own-brand alternatives.
However, the most recent Which? monthly price analysis revealed that Asda topped the table for branded goods, surpassing the savings offered by the nation’s leading loyalty programmes.
The British retailer has claimed the top spot for the second consecutive month, undercutting members-only pricing at both Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
Which? scrutinised the pricing of 241 widely purchased branded products — including Dove, Chicago Town, Kellogg’s, Nescafé, Tilda and Mr Kipling — on a daily basis throughout the month, calculating the average cost per item, then totalling these figures to find each supermarket’s average basket price.
The findings revealed that Asda’s basket came to £813.16 in March — prices available to every shopper — making it 1% cheaper than Tesco’s Clubcard prices and 4% less expensive than Sainsbury’s Nectar prices, reports the Mirror.
Morrisons proved, on average, 6% pricier than Asda, with a basket reaching £858.67 for More card holders and £860.79 for those without the card.
For those who choose not to use loyalty cards, whether due to eligibility issues or concerns about data privacy, the pricing disparity becomes even larger.
Shoppers without a loyalty card will find Sainsbury’s (£933.82) 15% more expensive than Asda, while Tesco (£911.64) is 12% more expensive. Notably, for the second consecutive month, both Tesco and Sainsbury’s proved pricier than Waitrose (£902.83) for those without loyalty cards.
While Aldi and Lidl frequently rank among the most affordable supermarkets overall, they were excluded from this study due to their limited range of branded products.
Certain individual items carried markups of more than 100% for non-members. As an example, Nescafé Azera Americano (90g) is priced at £3.50 with a Tesco Clubcard, yet non-members pay £7.25 — a staggering 107% increase.
For the second month in a row, the most notable price difference in March was Tilda boil-in-the-bag basmati rice (four-pack), retailing at £1 at Tesco without a loyalty card compared to £2.25 at Waitrose — a 115% difference.
Big differences were also uncovered in the pricing of Filippo Berio olive oil across different supermarkets.
Filippo Berio Classic Olive Oil (500ml) averages £4.98 at Asda, rising to £8.51 at Waitrose — a £3.53 (71%) difference. The brand’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil (750ml) is £7 at Morrisons, compared to £11.35 at Waitrose, a £4.35 (62%) gap.
Which? also identified Waitrose as the most competitive option for certain products, including Twinings Everyday Tea Bags (80 bags), averaging £3.21 at Waitrose versus £5.61 at Morrisons — a 75% difference. Likewise, Vimto No Added Sugar Squash (1000ml) costs £1.36 at Waitrose, yet £2.25 at Sainsbury’s and Tesco for those without membership cards — a 65% price difference.
Colgate Plax Cool Mint Mouthwash (500ml) was priced at £2.47 for Tesco Clubcard holders, while averaging £4.50 for non-members at Tesco and Sainsbury’s — an 82% difference.
Reena Sewraz, Which? retail editor said: “Our latest analysis shows Asda beats the UK’s biggest loyalty schemes to be the cheapest for branded goods for the second month running. Meanwhile, shoppers without a membership at Tesco or Sainsbury’s are being charged up to 15% more than the cheaper option – which can make those shops more expensive than Waitrose.
“If you’re loyal to specific brands, the current market is a bit of a lottery. You could easily end up paying double for the exact same jar of coffee or bag of rice depending on where you shop. While membership cards offer targeted discounts, Asda’s straightforward pricing is proving more reliable for fans of big brands who want to keep their grocery bills under control without the need for a card.”
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “More than four in five of the items flagged in this report were cheaper on Nectar Prices and our customers know a good deal when they see one.
“We are committed to delivering outstanding value on the products people buy the most, including over 700 products in the biggest Aldi Price Match on the market and our own‐brand value lines.”
A spokesperson for Tesco said: “It is no surprise that Clubcard Prices deliver great value for customers, and with more than 80% of sales involving a Clubcard there are millions of people taking advantage of this every week. However, shoppers can also get great value on thousands of products without using their Clubcard thanks to our combination of Aldi Price Match and Everyday Low Prices.”
A Waitrose spokesperson said: “We consistently offer great value on our customers’ favourite brands. This assessment only provides a snapshot, and does not take into account the wide range of promotions on other products belonging to the brands included within this analysis.”
