Which? looks at prices at Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose to find the cheapest grocer – and this month, the bill for the winner came to £100.29 on average
The cheapest UK supermarket for last year has been named by the consumer group Which? – and the winner was £29.54 cheaper than the most expensive.
Aldi has taken the crown for the cheapest supermarket for 2024 overall, having taken the title for the month of December as well as every other month last year. According to the consumer champion’s research, shoppers who stocked up at the German discounter would have saved £393 on average compared to the most expensive alternative over the course of the year.
The results for the final month of the year showed that an average shopping list of 56 groceries cost £100.29 at Aldi. Following just behind was discounter Lidl – as it has been every month – with a basket price of £101.48 with Lidl Plus – at just £1.19. Without the loyalty scheme, the same basket would set you back £101.56.
Waitrose was once again crowned the UK’s most expensive supermarket shop being £29.54 pricier than Aldi in December, at £129.83. Waitrose has been the most expensive supermarket shop each and every month of 2024.
The UK’s largest supermarket, Tesco, took third place with a basket price of £111.22 on average with a Clubcard and £112.90 without one. Sainsbury’s takes the next spot when you have a Nectar Card with a basket price of £112.13, and then Asda at £113.22.
Morrisons had an average basket price of £114.01 with a More card. For those shopping without a Morrisons More card the same basket would’ve cost you £116.32. Ocado was placed in second to last this month with an average basket price of £120.83.
Each month, Which? also compares the cost of a larger trolley of more than 150 items. This includes a larger number of branded items and does not include discounter supermarkets Aldi and Lidl, as they do not always stock some of these products.
For nine months of the year, Asda was the cheapest supermarket for a larger trolley, but it has been facing a strong challenge from Tesco Clubcard prices, which have made Tesco cheaper in three out of seven months since Which? began including loyalty prices in its analysis in June 2024.
This month, for a bigger shop of 158 items, Tesco – with a Clubcard – was the cheapest on average at £410.40, followed by Sainsbury’s (with a Nectar card) at £412.14 and Morrisons (with a More card) at £414.06. Asda came fourth in December with a trolley costing £415.56.
Waitrose was the most expensive supermarket for a larger trolley of items every month in 2024 apart from September. In December, a Waitrose shop cost a total of £458.12 on average.
Harry Rose, Editor of Which? magazine, said: “Our research shows Aldi has retained its crown as the UK’s cheapest supermarket in 2024. A shopper would have saved £393 on average, over the course of a year by choosing to shop at the German discounter rather than the most expensive alternative.
“After the added expense of the festive period, many households will be looking to cut costs. Our analysis shows that by switching supermarkets, shoppers can make significant savings, highlighting the advantages of shopping around where possible.”
Cheapest basket results for December
Based on 56 items
- Aldi – £100.29
- Lidl (with Lidl Plus) – £101.48
- Lidl (without Lidl PLus) – £101.56
- Tesco (with Clubcard) – £111.22
- Sainsbury’s (with Nectar) – £112.13
- Tesco (without Clubcard) – £112.90
- Asda – £113.22
- Morrisons (with More) – £114.01
- Morrisons (without More) – £116.32
- Sainsbury’s (without Nectar) – £116.70
- Ocado – £120.83
- Waitrose – £129.83
Cheapest trolley results for December
Based on 158 items
- Tesco (with Clubcard) – £410.40
- Sainsbury’s (with Nectar) – £412.14
- Morrisons (with More) – £414.06
- Asda – £415.56
- Morrisons (without More) – £426.86
- Tesco (without Clubcard) – £440.40
- Ocado – £444.12
- Sainsbury’s (without Nectar) – £446.67
- Waitrose – £458.12
