It's already been in the headlines after Asda was accused of 'embarrassing poorer families' with the new packaging of its Just Essentials range.
Some shoppers feel the bright yellow packaging stands out too much and gives 'poverty markers' to struggling customers.
But now the supermarket is in hot water again after hiking some of the prices just weeks after launching the range, which is a rebrand of the former Smart Price products.
Read more: Things to do with the kids in and around Manchester this summer
Our weekly comparison of basics like milk and bread - the cost of which we have been monitoring at all supermarkets since March - shows that this week Asda has put the price of its Just Essentials teabags up from 25p for a pack of 40 to 28p and its coffee up from 75p for 100g to 83p.
The move has not gone down well with shoppers, many of whom have been sampling the new range for the first time.
One customer told the Manchester Evening News: "I know some people haven't been that keen on the new packaging, but I love the new range. I don't think it's fair for them to be putting the prices up already."
The rises have put Asda in fourth place in this week's comparison, with Tesco taking the cheapest spot from Lidl after the latter put the price of its 500g pack of mince back up to £1.89.
Most had reduced the packs to £1.69 to match the price of Asda's mince, which is also part of the Just Essentials range.
The full shopping list is made up of an 800g loaf of bread, two pints of milk, 200g of coffee, 160 teabags, a 250g block of butter, tin of beans, 300g of chicken and 500g of mince.
The only slight difference in sizes is with the baked beans, which range from 400g in Sainsbury's and 410g in Asda and Morrisons, to the standard 420g in Aldi, Lidl and Tesco. Where Asda's pack of chicken is larger, we've worked out the equivalent price for a fairer comparison.
The M.E.N has approached Asda for a comment.
Where are you finding the cheapest products at the moment? Let us know in the comments here.
Here's the shopping list and total for each supermarket (as of Friday, August 19)
Tesco
Loaf of white bread 800g - 36p
Milk 2 pints - £1.15
Coffee 200g (2 x 100g) - £1.70
Teabags 160 (2 x 80-pack) - £1.30
Salted butter 250g - £1.75
Beans 420g tin - 22p
Chicken 300g - £2.25
Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.69
Total £10.42
Lidl
Loaf of white bread 800g - 36p
Milk 2 pints - £1.15
Coffee 200g - £1.69
Teabags 160 - 99p
Salted butter 250g - £1.72
Beans 420g tin - 22p
Chicken 300g - £2.15
Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.89 (up from £1.69)
Total £10.17 (up from £9.97)
*Some of the Aldi products included in this list are of a higher standard than the essentials ranges listed for other supermarkets.
Aldi
Loaf of white bread 800g - 36p
Milk 2 pints - £1.15
Coffee 200g - £1.69
Teabags 160 - £1.29
Salted butter 250g - £1.75
Beans 420g tin - 22p
Chicken 300g - £2.15
Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.69
Total £10.30
Asda
Loaf of white bread 800g (Just Essentials) - 39p
Milk 2 pints - £1.15
Coffee 200g (2 x 100g Just Essentials) - £1.66 (up from £1.50)
Teabags 160 (4 x 40-pack Just Essentials) - £1.24 (up from £1.12)
Salted butter 250g - £1.75
Beans 410g tin (Just Essentials) - 25p
Chicken (bigger 350g pack for £2.70) - equates to £2.31
Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.69
Total £10.44 - (up from £10.16)
Sainsbury's
Loaf of white bread 800g - 36p
Milk 2 pints - £1.15
Coffee 200g £1.69
Teabags 160 - £1.29
Salted butter 250g - £2.15
Beans 400g tin - 21p
Chicken 300g - £2.50
Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.69
Total £11.04
Morrisons
Loaf of white bread 800g - 85p
Milk 2 pints - £1.25
Coffee (2 x 100g) - £1.70
Teabags 160 (2 x 80-pack Savers) - £1.30
Salted butter 250g - £1.99
Beans 410g tin - 29p
Chicken 300g - £2.49
Mince 500g 20% fat - £2.19
Total £12.06
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
