Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Emma Gill

Supermarket accused of "laughing at customers" after hiking prices once again

A supermarket has been accused of 'taking the mick' out of shoppers by putting up prices once again.

Our weekly comparison of basics like milk and bread has kept a close eye on increasing costs over the last few months.

The shopping bill for the same eight essentials has risen week after week at the six main supermarkets - Tesco, Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Sainsbury's and Morrisons.

It's the latter that has been grabbing most of the headlines though after starting out as the cheapest, but quickly climbing to the most expensive over a matter of weeks.

Read more: Things to do with the kids in and around Manchester this summer

The increase - from £9.78 at the end of May up to £11.15 by July - is largely due to its meat prices, with its 500g pack of mince the most expensive of the lot at £2.19 and its 300g pack of chicken breast the second most expensive at £2.49.

But now the bill has shot up once again, after the price of its 250g block of butter rose from £1.75 up to £1.99 - a hike of almost 14% and baked beans rose from 25p to 29p.

We've also adjusted the price of its cheapest loaf as despite us requesting the cost of its cheapest 800g loaf, the retailer has been giving us the pro rata cost of its Savers loaf, which is smaller at 720g.

The shopping bill for the same eight essentials has risen week after week (Manchester Family / MEN)

Shoppers are less than impressed with the price hikes. "They're really taking the mick now," said one loyal Morrisons customer. "I've shopped there for years, but the prices seem to be going up more than anywhere else. It feels like they're laughing at us."

Another said: "I know prices are going up everywhere, but there seems no end to it. I like the quality of Morrisons products, but I can't keep paying more."

Earlier this month we reported how the bill for eight basics at all six supermarkets had topped £10 for the first time - made up of a two-pint bottle of milk, a loaf of bread, coffee, teabags, butter, beans, chicken breasts and mince.

This week's changes have taken Morrisons' overall bill to £11.78 - that's a difference of £1.66 from the cheapest, Asda, which has swiped the cheapest crown from Lidl, which held it for the last six weeks.

It's a rise in the cost of Lidl's chicken breasts, matching Aldi's new price of £2.15, which has put it in second spot at £10.17, behind Asda's £10.12.

And Aldi has moved back into third cheapest spot ahead of Tesco after it dropped the price of its mince to £1.69 - matching the cost of Asda's Just Essentials pack.

Morrisons butter, right, has risen to £1.99 (Manchester Family / MEN)

Tesco is fourth at £10.32, with Sainsbury's at £10.84 and Morrisons at £11.78.

The only slight difference in sizes is 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.

Morrisons says that while its cheaper Savers butter is no longer stocked online, it is still available in stores.

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, July 22)

Asda

Loaf of white bread 800g (Just Essentials) - 39p

Milk 2 pints - £1.15

Coffee 200g (2 x 100g Just Essentials) - £1.50

Teabags 160 (4 x 40-pack Smart Price) - £1.12

Salted butter 250g - £1.75

Beans 410g tin (Smart Price) - 25p

Chicken (bigger 350g pack for £2.65) - equates to £2.27

Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.69

Total £10.12

Asda has swiped the cheapest crown from Lidl, at £10.12 for the full shop (Manchester Family / MEN)

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 (up from £2.09)

Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.89

Total £10.17 (up from £10.11)

(Manchester Family / MEN)

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 (down from £1.89)

Total £10.30 (down from £10.50)

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 - £1.89

Total £10.32

(Manchester Family / MEN)

Sainsbury's

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 400g tin - 21p

Chicken 300g - £2.50

Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.89

Total £10.84

Morrisons

Loaf of white bread 800g - 79p (up from 54p Savers pro rata price)

Milk 2 pints - £1.15

Coffee (2 x 100g) - £1.70

Teabags 160 (2 x 80-pack Savers) - £1.18

Salted butter 250g - £1.99 (up from £1.75)

Beans 410g tin - 29p (up from 25p)

Chicken 300g - £2.49

Mince 500g 20% fat - £2.19

Total £11.78 (up from £11.25)

Read more of today's top stories here

READ NEXT:

  • 'Bye bye Magnum ' - Tesco unveils new 50p 'double dipped' ice cream lollies and shoppers can't get enough
  • Home Bargains and Quality Save are the shops customers can't tell apart - so which one's cheaper?
  • I transformed my garden grot spot with Dunelm's deluxe loungers and bargain hammock
  • This lesser known budget supermarket is owned by B&M, and for bargains like this it's worth seeking out
  • Mum kept toddler fed, cool and entertained for just 95p - all thanks to Ikea
  • Sign up to read this article
    Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
    Already a member? Sign in here
    Related Stories
    Top stories on inkl right now
    One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
    Already a member? Sign in here
    Our Picks
    Fourteen days free
    Download the app
    One app. One membership.
    100+ trusted global sources.