LIDL has narrowly beaten Aldi as the cheapest supermarket of 2020 based on prices of branded and own-label products.
Consumer group Which? tracked the price of 45 items over the year at eight leading supermarkets, including the Big Four, Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Asda.
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The groceries monitored were essentials, such as Hovis bread, Knorr stock cubes and free-range eggs.
In total, the Lidl shopping trolley of goods came to £42.67 on average over the year.
It was only 34p cheaper than the average trolley costs at Aldi, which came in second place at £43.01.
It’s the first time Which? has included the two German discounters in its annual price comparison.
Here’s how to cut the cost of your grocery shop
SAVING on your shop can make a big difference to your wallet. Here are some tips from Money.co.uk about how you can cut the cost of your shopping bills:
- Write yourself a list – Only buy items that you need. If it isn’t on your list, don’t put it in the trolley
- Create a budget – Work out a weekly budget for your food shopping
- Never shop hungry – you are far more likely to buy more food if your tummy is rumbling
- Don’t buy pre-chopped veggies or fruit – The extra they’ll charge for chopping can be eye watering
- Use social media – follow your favourite retailers to find out about the latest deals
- Be disloyal – You may want to go to different stores to find the best bargains
- Check the small print – It’s always worth checking the price per kg/lb/litre when comparing offers so you’re making a like for like decision as a bigger box won’t necessarily mean you get more
- Use your loyalty cards – Don’t be afraid to sign up to them all. They all work slightly differently – work out what bonus suits you better and remember to trade in your points for additional rewards
Asda was the third-cheapest supermarket with the same basket of items costing £48.71 on average, but it was still over £5 more than Aldi and Lidl.
Unsurprisingly, Waitrose was the most expensive supermarket in 2020 with the 45 items costing ££68.69 on average.
Compared to Lidl, the same products were around 60% more expensive.
Waitrose usually puts its higher prices down to higher quality and welfare standards.
Even so, the consumer group’s research found Lidl’s own brand products cost significantly less than Waitrose own essential label.
For example, a pack of Waitrose own-label cooked and peeled prawns would set customers back £4.60 on average, compared to just £1.99 at Lidl.
Customers had to fork out £2.47 for a six-pack of own-brand large free-range eggs from Waitrose but Lidl’s equivalent cost just £1.27.
Ocado was the second most expensive supermarket of 2020, where the trolley of goods costs £66.83 on average.
Sainsbury’s was the third most expensive retailer charging shoppers an average of £56.38.
Asda (£48.71), Morrisons (£53.61) and Tesco (£53.30), as came in cheaper.
Supermarkets have face unprecedented demands this year as shoppers have relied on them to supply groceries through the pandemic.
Fear of tough restrictions saw shelves stripped of essentials such as pasta and toilet roll, causing retailers to slap limits on certain products.
The grocers have also more than doubled the number of delivery slots to help those relying on online shopping because they are self-isolating or vulnerable.
Natalie Hitchins, head of home products and services at Which?, said: “Many households have been under financial pressure due to the pandemic, so getting value for money on their weekly shop has become more important than ever.
“Our analysis shows that customers do not have pay over the odds for their groceries.”
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Ryan McDonnell, chief commercial officer at Lidl GB, said the supermarket was “delighted” to be crowned the cheapest.
He added: “As we expand further into to the future, we will continue to work hard to bring our high quality, affordable products to even more customers across the country.”
The Sun has contacted Waitrose for comment.
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