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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Cathy Owen & Abbie Meehan

Aldi and Lidl knocked off cheapest supermarket spot as major retailer slashes costs

Budget supermarket giant Aldi has been knocked off the top spot in the rankings of the UK's cheapest supermarket by Tesco.

The major retailer has stolen the top spot to be named the UK's cheapest supermarket for the month of January.

It comes after Aldi was crowned the cheapest supermarket in 2022 during the latest report from consumer champions Which?. Aldi sent around a bus to pick up customers from rival supermarkets, with signs splashed across the vehicle announcing they were the cheapest.

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However, on WalesOnline's list of supermarkets, it is once again the fourth cheapest, coming after Tesco in first place if you use your Clubcard, Lidl in second and Asda third.

In a shopping list that consists of seven items - milk, eggs, bread, spaghetti, apples, breakfast cereal and cheese - all seven supermarkets in the report had increased their prices. The bill had increased by £1.06 in one month alone at Sainsbury's.

All the bills are also more than £10 for the first time since the survey began in March last year. Tesco was the cheapest for the first time (£10.78), coming in 1 pence cheaper than Lidl (£10.79) and 25p cheaper than Asda (£11.03).

Aldi was fourth cheapest at £11.06 compared to the £10.78 at Tesco - but this only will work if you use your clubcard to get the cheap cheese deal. At most of the supermarkets there was a lack of eggs, with the majority having restrictions on how many packs that a customer can buy.

The price of eggs at Aldi increased from £1.19 in December to £1.55 in January, and there was very limited stock. Spaghetti seems to have stagnated at the same price, as well as the other items on the list.

The Which? figures for 2022, which are based on their monthly comparison, found that Aldi was the cheapest supermarket in their analysis for seven out of 12 months in 2022, more than any other supermarket.

Lidl was close to following up, coming out cheapest in the first five months of the year. Across the seven months that Aldi was awarded 'cheapest supermarket of the month', the average difference was £1.59 compared to Lidl.

Which? also found that the price of 'budget' items rose by 20.3 per cent on average in December, compared with the same month the year previous. Meanwhile, supermarkets' luxury ranges rose by 12.6 per cent, and the price of branded items went up by 12.5 per cent.

Price hikes for grocery staples including butter and spreads, milk and cheese were much bigger, according to the Which? survey – up 29 per cent, 26 per cent and 22 per cent respectively, across all supermarket chains. Items in the bakery were up by 19.5 per cent, and savoury pastries, pies and quiches rose by 18.5 per cent.

Sue Davies, the head of food policy at Which?, said: “Some households are already skipping meals to make ends meet and our findings show trust in supermarkets taking a hit as many people worry they are putting profits before the people suffering during this cost of living crisis.

“Supermarkets must do more, Which? is calling for them to ensure everyone has easy access to basic, affordable food ranges at a store near them, particularly in areas where people are most in need.”

Read on below to see how the different supermarkets compared to each other - from cheapest to most expensive.

Tesco

Six free range eggs - £1.55 (down from £1.75)

Mature cheddar - £2.70 clubcard price (down from £2.75)

Two pints of semi-skimmed - £1.30 (up from £1.25)

500g of spaghetti - 28 pence (same price)

One loaf of white sliced bread -£1.35 (up from £1.25)

Six Braeburn apples - £1.60 (up from 79 pence with clubcard)

Breakfast cereal - £2 (same price)

Total: £10.78 with club card (up from £10.07)

Lidl

Six free range eggs - £1.30 (up from £1.19)

Mature cheddar - £3.49 (up from £2.69)

Two pints of semi-skimmed - £1.30 (same price)

500g of spaghetti - 28 pence (same price)

One loaf of white sliced bread - £1.25 (up from £1.19)

Six Braeburn apples - £1.29 (same price)

Breakfast cereal - £1.99 (same price)

Total: £10.79 (up from £9.93)

Asda

Six free range eggs - £1.30 (down from £1.75)

Mature cheddar - £2.90 (down from £3)

Two pints of semi-skimmed - £1.30 (same price)

500g of spaghetti - 28 pence Just Essentials (same price)

One loaf of white sliced bread - £1.35 (up from £1.20)

Six Braeburn apples - £1.50 (up from 99 pence)

Breakfast cereal - £1.95 (same price)

Total: £11.03 (up from £10.47)

Aldi

Six free range eggs - £1.55 (up from £1.19)

Mature cheddar - £2.69 (same price)

Two pints of semi-skimmed - £1.30 (same price)

500g of spaghetti - 79 pence (same price)

One loaf of white sliced bread - £1.25 (same price)

Six Braeburn apples - £1.49 (up from £1.29)

Breakfast cereal - £1.99 (same price)

Total: £11.06 (up from £10.50)

Marks and Spencer

Six free range eggs - £2.30 (same price)

Mature cheddar - £2.90 (same price)

Two pints of semi-skimmed - £1.30 (same price)

500g of spaghetti - 95 pence (same price)

One loaf of white sliced bread -85 pence (same price)

Six Braeburn apples - £1.90 (up from £1.75)

Breakfast cereal - £1.85 (up from £1.50)

Total: £12.05 (up from £11.55

Sainsbury's

Six free range eggs - £1.30 (same price)

Mature cheddar - £4.20 (up from £2.75)

Two pints of semi-skimmed - £1.30 (same price)

500g of spaghetti - 56p (down from 95 pence)

One loaf of white sliced bread - £1.30 (same price)

Six Braeburn apples - £1.70 (same price)

Breakfast cereal - £2 (same price)

Total: £12.36 (up from £11.30)

Morrisons

Six free range eggs - £1.29 (up from £1.25)

Mature cheddar - £3.99 (up from £3.25)

Two pints of semi-skimmed - £1.30 (up from £1.30)

550g of spaghetti - 95p (up from 89 pence)

One loaf of white sliced bread - £1.49 (up from £1.40)

Six Braeburn apples - £1.59 (down from £1.89)

Breakfast cereal - £1.99 (up from £1.70)

Total: £12.60 (up from £11.63)

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