A supermarket has been accused of 'laughing at its customers' after prices for basic food items have risen once again. Our sister site, Manchester Evening News, creates a weekly comparison of supermarket basics like milk and bread and has kept a close eye on increasing costs over the last few months.
The shopping bill for the same eight essential items has risen week after week at the six main supermarkets - Tesco, Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Sainsbury's and Morrisons. And it's Morrisons that has been getting the most attention after starting out as the cheapest but quickly climbing to the most expensive over a matter of weeks.
This increase - from £9.78 at the end of May up to £11.15 by July - is primarily 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 saw a steep rise from £1.75 up to £1.99 - a hike of almost 14 per cent and baked beans rose from 25p to 29p.
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The price shown for the cheapest loaf of bread has also been adjusted. When Manchester Evening News requested the cost of its cheapest 800g loaf, the retailer has given them the pro rata cost of its Savers loaf, which is smaller at 720g.
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, the bill for these 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. Last 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.
Where are you finding the cheapest products at the moment? Let us know in the comments here.
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 the second spot at £10.17, behind Asda's £10.12. Aldi has moved back into the 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. 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. 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 £2.27Mince 500g 20% fat - £1.69
Total: £10.12
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)
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
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)
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